


None Of Your Business

by Soulwithlife



Series: The Grimm Slayer Saga [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, F/F, F/M, Gen, Possession, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-04
Updated: 2015-12-08
Packaged: 2018-04-30 01:16:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 33,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5144927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soulwithlife/pseuds/Soulwithlife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Weiss never expected to take inspiration from one of Jaune's off-handed comments, but here she was, setting up an adventuring business to rival her father's despicable empire! But, while things seem to be going smoothly at first, events soon spiral out of control as a rival business takes the matter of competition into their own hands. </p><p>Features Arkos and Weiss/Jaune friendship. Sequel to In A Grimm Manor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Capitalism, Ho!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved.

"No, Doc Lavender, I'm perfectly fine, really! Look, I can move my legs and everything!"

"Yo, that's great Arc-man, but I can't let you leave until I run some aura diagnostics, mmkay?"

"And how long's that going to take?"

"'Bout half an hour-ish."

_Ah, so that's why he's still in there. I suppose excessive aura depletion can be pretty dangerous if left unchecked…_

Jaune sighed.

"Let's get this over with, then."

Having been standing outside the door for far longer than was probably necessary, Weiss finally decided to announce her presence with a few dainty knocks.

"Hm? Who's there?" Lavender's sing-song voice asked.

"Weiss Schnee. I'm here to see Jaune, if that's okay?"

"Oh, come right in!" Jaune exclaimed happily. "It'll be nice to have someone to talk to while I’ve got this darn thing on me."

"Hey!"

"I'm talking about the _machine_."

" _Sure_ you were, Arc-man."

The infirmary was a comforting universal constant for Weiss; while other things in Beacon were always changing, the place where people went to patch up their boo-boos was the same monochrome mess it had always been...as was Doc Lavender, though this thought was somewhat less comforting. It was still the weekend and, given that most students went to Vale in their free time or just got into various non-threatening comedy antics, it was no surprise that Jaune and Doc Lavender were the only ones present. There were still quite a few chairs strewn around, though; perhaps Mister Arc had entertained some guests not long ago?

"Hey, Weiss!" Jaune greeted happily. "Take a seat, if you like. Plenty of 'em since the rest of JNPR dropped by."

Lavender looked between the two students as Weiss sat down in Pyrrha's former seat, her bright eyes calculating away.

"White Knight…?" she whispered mysteriously.

"Huh?"

"Nothing, Arc-man, nothing at all. I'mma pop out to get some more hot chocolate. Want a drink, Schnee?"

"Some coffee would be best, if you have any."

"Yeah, yeah, no problemo. I guess I'll just leave you two to talk..."

Lavender slipped over to the door, sending over an exaggerated wink.

"Alone."

A faint cackling could be heard as the nutty doctor made her getaway. Weiss, for her part, wasn't exactly pleased.

"I suppose she's been following those rumours floating around. Pah."

"Rumours?"

"Oh, right...you've been stuck in this bed for a while, haven't you? How to put this…?" Weiss paused, averting her eyes. "Let's just say that, when a boy and a girl go off on a secret mission together, certain types of people can take that the wrong way."

Jaune turned a cherry red.

"A-ah. I'm surprised Pyrrha didn't mention it when she came over."

"Hmph. As if someone like her would put stock into something so ridiculous. People have even come up to me, unsolicited I might add, and asked if we were dating! I denied it, of course, but this little grapevine seems determined to keep growing. I'd ask that you try and curb it where you can...once you're out of the infirmary, at least."

"Sure, that shouldn't be too hard. I mean, it's not like I haven't been through this before. Rumour has it that Pyrrha and I have been dating for years. And we're married. And have a child...possibly three?"

"You can't be serious!"

"I _wish_ I was joking. I swear, two people can't be friends these days without everyone taking it the wrong way. It might be harmless if it didn’t hurt people’s feelings, but it kinda…does. A lot.”

There was a short pause.

"So...that's the ADT?" Weiss asked finally.

"The what?"

"Aura Diagnostics Tool. The device on your arm."

"Oh, right! Well, I _hope_ that's what it is. Otherwise I'm more than a little worried that this is sucking out my soul or something."

It was a deceptively simple-looking bit of machinery. From what Weiss could tell, it was affixed to Jaune's arm through a tight black strap, with several silvery wires coming out either side of the backlit screen. It was roughly the size of a scroll, if a little chunkier in terms of depth, and the monitor displayed some kind of medical model of Jaune's body, a pale sphere blinking in his chest.

"Does it hurt?"

"Nah, just feels a little tingly. Apparently she needs to check if my regeneration rate's back to normal before I leave, which I guess kinda makes sense. Don't want to find out something's wrong when I'm in the middle of fighting an Ursa or something, y'know?"

"Mmhm. She's a little odd, but Doctor Lavender seems to know what she's talking about…for medicine, at least."

"Did she do a check up on you when you got back?"

Weiss nodded.

"And she said you were fine?"

"Tired and a little bruised here and there, but otherwise healthy, yes."

"That's good to hear, at least…but uh, mind if I ask you something? Something about the manor?"

Weiss glanced to the door and set her ears to listen, but Lavender still seemed to be away.

"I can't guarantee I'll have an answer for you, but ask what you will."

"Then…what happened on the top floor?"

"Well, we defeated Alice, the manor collapsed, my favourite outfit got covered in black goo…"

"No, I mean _before_ I arrived."

Weiss cast her mind back to her time with the reflection, shivering at the thought.

"Nothing. Nothing at all," she spat out hastily.

"Uh huh," Jaune said dubiously. "So there _wasn't_ an eldritch mirror up there trying to consume your aura?"

"What?! Who told you that?!"

"Bianca. She called it the Mirror of Suits. Sound familiar?"

"What's it to you?"

"I just...thought you might want to talk about it, that's all. Maybe get some stuff off of your chest?"

"And I'm telling you this because...?"

"Because I'm your friend, and I'm not going to judge you no matter what you say. That, and the only other person you could really speak to would be Spade, since you've kept what happened at the manor a secret and all."

Weiss sighed. Cardin may have reformed somewhat since his bullying days, but she was fairly sure his empathy was still rather stunted...certainly in comparison to Jaune's, anyway.

"You don't _have_ to tell me, though-"

"Look, just shut up, alright?"

Jaune stopped mid-sentence, using his free hand to very literally shut his mouth.

"...it told me I was becoming like my father."

Jaune and his floppy flannel shirt motioned for Weiss to continue.

"Okay...you know I'm the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, right?"

"And your father's the CEO?"

"Mmhm. He took over from my grandfather, the man who set up the company originally. He's pretty much the terror of the business world, manipulating laws and contracts to suit his own needs and wielding his empire like a battering ram to crush any hope of opposition. In essence, he's as self-interested as they come."

"But-"

"I'm not finished! Throughout my life he's been relentlessly pushing me to work harder, to think like him, to _be_ him. He wanted nothing less than a perfect daughter, and I, in my foolishness, wanted nothing more than to have a loving father. It's not like I've lost that desire, but...I've realised that it's impossible. I'm not sure he's even _capable_ of love. I just…"

Weiss sighed again.

"I'm afraid that it's too late to turn back. When he threatened to pull my funding, leaving my friends behind, I took the decision, going back on the plans I'd made just so I wouldn't lose the only people I'd really cared about...but it was born from selfishness. I didn't do it because they would miss me, but because _I'd_ miss _them_! He...he's succeeded. I'm becoming him, and there's nothing I can do to stop it..."

"Weiss…"

The heiress began to sob softly.

"Weiss!"

"...what?"

"Listen to me, okay? Do you want to know what makes you different from your father?"

Weiss remained silent.

"It's that you’re _aware_ of it. People have flaws. Maybe you're born with them, maybe you're raised to have them. Point is, you become a better person by _understanding_ and _overcoming_ your flaws! Yeah, okay, maybe you _were_ selfish, so what? Do you think your dad thinks the same thing when he crushes some small business so he can make a few extra lien?"

"...no."

"Exactly! You're not becoming your father, Weiss...you're becoming _you_!"

Jaune rapped a fist against his chest.

"And there's no one on Remnant who could convince me to say otherwise, alright?"

"...you're a dork sometimes, Jaune," Weiss said, smiling.

"Well someone's got to be! Jaune Arc, friendly neighbourhood dork...at your service, m'lady."

Weiss chuckled.

"Then I'll be sure to tell my friends in case they're in dire need of a dork. You could even make...a business out of it…"

Jaune blinked.

"Uh, Weiss? ...you're not serious, are you?"

"What? No, you dolt! Well, not about that, anyway...but if I set up my own business, completely separate from my father's…"

"He wouldn't be able to threaten your finances anymore?"

"Exactly! I mean, I could build my _own_ business empire...except with equality, and fair treatment...maybe some snazzy outfits...yes, yes, it's perfect! You're a genius, Jaune!"

"I’m pretty sure no one’s said _that_ before.”

"No, really! Meet me in my room tomorrow; bring your team along if you like. We've got a lot of work to do!"

And with that, Weiss shot off like a particularly expensive rocket, whooshing past Lavender as she tried to gingerly step through the doorway.

"Hey what about your-"

ZOOM

"-coffee?"

Lavender glanced over to Jaune.

"Did ya say somethin’, Arc-man?"

Jaune shook his head, motioning for the cup to be placed on his bedside table.

_You know, Weiss, this is the sort of stuff that starts rumours. Still, I don't see the harm in going along with her, especially if it helps with the whole ‘Mirror of Suits’ thing._

He took a sip of the coffee, wincing at its strength.

_Capitalism ho, I guess?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As with In A Grimm Manor, new chapter every two days. Look forward to it!
> 
> \- Soulwithlife/Blake Phoenix


	2. You Must Construct Additional Pylons!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved.

"Mister Asbeth! How are renovations going in sector B?"

"Apart from Ol damn near breaking his toe? Yeah, things are going alright."

"Did he require medical attention?"

"If by 'medical attention' you mean 'a slap around the face to make him focus', then yeah, I guess he did."

"Just keep it civil, Mister Asbeth; I'm not paying you to fight amongst yourselves."

"It shall be as you command, O Glorious Leader," Asbeth said dryly, bellowing out various orders as he returned to his post. Shaking her head in mock derision, Weiss decided to once again survey her surroundings, glad to take a minute away from the oft confusing schematics on the table.

 _Project Alpha_ , as Weiss was currently calling it, was a large octagonal building along the outskirts of Vale and, while it had laid mostly abandoned for a good ten years or so, Weiss' firm touch and experienced workmen had, after only a day of labour, very nearly restored it to its former glory. From what she had heard, the previous owner had used the place as some kind of improvised warehouse, filling it with all kinds of questionable goods that wouldn't be allowed into the more popular district by the docks. However, once their little scheme had been figured out, the scoundrel had turned tail and ran, leaving the building in the care of Vale's illustrious government. Thankfully, family connections went a long way, and after explaining exactly what she planned to do with it, the old octagon now belonged to Weiss, and she was determined to set a new, untainted history for the place.

...or at least, that was the plan. Assuming the renovators didn't keep getting distracted every five minutes, there was always something else to get in the way. First, there was the peculiar sound from the second floor, later found to be caused by ‘a very confused orangutan'. Next, one of the windows burst open on its own, letting in a rough summer wind sharp enough to send Oliver sprawling to the floor, prompting the lanky boy to clamour for 'hazard pay'…and frankly, the less that was said about the lemon incident the better.

"Hey Weiss!"

Turning her mind away from such ridiculous thoughts, Weiss found herself confronted by none other than Jaune Arc, swiftly followed his teammates, all dressed in their usual hunter garb...with the exception of Nora, who was currently donning a white chef's hat. Inside out.

"Sorry we're late, but Nora insisted that we stop at Lizz's bakery on the way here and, well, you know how it goes…" Jaune said apologetically. "Anyway, weren’t we gonna meet at your room? What changed your mind?"

"Just differing circumstances, Jaune. Oh, and thank you all very much for coming, by the way. I know it can't have been easy fitting it around that essay we had to hand in for Grimm Studies."

A look of horror began to descend onto JNP's collective faces.

"Oh crap, I forgot about the essay!" Jaune exclaimed.

"And I forgot to remind him!" Pyrrha gasped.

"And my chef's hat's totally the wrong way around!"

Wordlessly, Ren roamed the group, fixing up Nora's chef's hat and handing Jaune a very neatly folded sheet of paper. All Pyrrha got was a quick tap on the shoulder, but it seemed to help nevertheless.

"O...kay," Weiss muttered confusedly, trying to lead the conversation back to its original topic. "Essays aside, I'm glad you could all make it. Soon enough I'm going to need all the teams I can get my hands on, and it makes me a little more comfortable to know that a few dependable ones will be close by."

"Would you be kind enough to fill me in on the details, Weiss?" Pyrrha asked politely. "Jaune said it was something to do with a business, but that was all he knew about it.”

"That would be my fault," Weiss admitted. "When I had my little 'eureka' moment, I was somewhat abrupt with my departure, and it would perhaps have been wise to give you a better idea of what I was planning.”

Weiss gestured to her surroundings.

"See all this? It doesn't look like much right now, but in two days’ time, this hall will be lined with tables and chairs, and at the very end there, besides the staircase, will be a job board."

"Oh, I think I get it," Jaune said. "It's like a hunter's guild, right? Regular people come and post jobs up on the board, then hunters and huntresses come along and pick which ones they want to do!"

"Exactly."

"There's more to it than that, isn't there?" Ren asked perceptively. "A hunter's guild isn't new. Stories say they've been around almost as long as hunters themselves."

"Yes, that’s true, but schools as grand as Beacon haven't existed for all that long in comparison, which is why I think my idea might bring something fresh. Do you know how sometimes we have practical assignments, sort of like the ones Vale gives to the main guilds?"

"Of course!" Nora confirmed enthusiastically. "That one we had two weeks ago was totally awesome! There were lizards and horses and bears, oh my!"

"Nora,” Ren prodded.

"Eh heh heh...sorry, Weiss."

"No, no, it's perfectly fine. See, I feel like Nora's enthusiasm for real missions is shared by a lot of students at Beacon, and since there are always going to be some jobs that are a little too minor to be solved by an experienced hunter or huntress...well, why not let one problem solve the other?"

"What a grand idea!" Pyrrha exclaimed. "That way, not only do Beacon students get more experience performing real missions, but the Vale government gets to lighten its load!”

"So wait, where do we come in?" Jaune asked curiously. "There aren't jobs up already, are there?"

"Well, no, but working this all out with Ozpin was a little on the strenuous side, and I feel that latter negotiations would go a lot more smoothly if I had some people that confirmed their interest."

A fake cough echoed from further down the hallway. Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Oh, and I believe some of the workers here wanted Pyrrha's autograph, if that's alright?"

"Weiss!" Jaune exclaimed sharply. "You can't just ask Pyrrha to sign a bunch of-"

Of course, by the time Jaune had gotten halfway through his sentence, Pyrrha’s signing was already under way, and it wasn't long before the workers had formed a small queue to claim their 'real reward'.

 _At least they're actually lining up instead of clambering over each other. Perhaps Asbeth had a word with them earlier?_ _Hm, speaking of…_

"Mister Asbeth! Once you're done getting your autograph, I'd appreciate it if you'd come over here to discuss something."

Asbeth was the sort of man who carried a perpetually tired look on his face which, along with his heavy, muscular build and military short black hair, made him a somewhat intimidating figure to approach. After hanging around him for a good part of her youth, however, Weiss found him to be a dependable, orderly workman, and while he occasionally let his sour disposition get ahead of him, he was still one of the few people Weiss trusted from her family background. After slipping his precious autograph into one of the safer pockets of his work garment, Asbeth approached the group, minus Pyrrha, who was still finishing up with the signing.

"Reporting in, Miss Schnee. These're the friends you mentioned, I’m guessing?"

"Mmhm. Do you want me to introduce them?"

"Only two. I already know Miss Nikos, obviously, and I don't think I could miss Jaune if I tried. The resemblance to his dad is uncanny."

Jaune assumed a bashful expression, remaining silent.

"Is that so?" Weiss asked with mild interest. "In any case, the remaining two are Ren and Nora, and I can assure you that they are just as skilled as anyone in team RWBY."

"Good. Maybe that'll help you get that asshole in the clock tower on your side."

"His name's Ozpin, Mister Asbeth," Weiss said wearily.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. You want me to get these four on the system, then?"

"Assuming they're up for it, yes. Nora-"

"If it lets me hammer more Grimm, you can count me in!"

"Then put me down, too," Ren said, shaking his head. "Can't have Nora going off on her own, you know."

_Hm, well that was easy. Seems like JNPR has an even stronger pair dynamic than RWBY. Now for the other two…_

Having finally finished with her signing, Pyrrha zoomed back to the main group, giving a smile and an enthusiastic thumbs up.

"May I join as well? I still have my tournament record to keep up, after all, and a few extra missions would make for excellent practice. And Jaune…” Pyrrha began, her last line taking a more insistent tone. "He needs plenty of opportunities to put his semblance to the test. Why not from your guild?”

"Heh, then if the great Pyrrha Nikos says I should go, who am I to refuse?" Jaune joked, prompting a playful nudge from his protégé.

"That's…good to hear," Weiss said, an uneasy feeling urging her to move on. "Now, if you wouldn't mind following Mister Asbeth here, he can set you up on the system…assuming he hasn’t lost his password again?”

“That only happened _once_ , Miss Schnee.”

“Then that’s one time too many, isn’t it? Just get on with it, Asbeth; I’ll be over here if you need me.”

As JNPR were lead over to a makeshift desk by the wall, Weiss found herself staring up towards one of the windows, noting once again that, despite no one opening it, the blasted thing had decided to unhinge itself anyway. Was there something wrong it? She didn’t remember anything in the records, but…oh well. It probably wasn’t important.

_Now, where is that Oliver? He was supposed to be working on moving the new tables in, and..._

Lost in thought, it wasn't particularly surprising that Weiss had missed it. The wind muffled it somewhat, and if someone were to try and listen more carefully, they would probably assume it was coming from outside. After all, was it so unusual to hear the faint tinkling of laughter?

…

Zinnia glowed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gods above, this chapter took a lot of trimming...so much unnecessary guff T_T. Oh well, at least it's fixed now. Enjoy!
> 
> \- Soulwithlife/Blake Phoenix


	3. Swooping Is Bad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved.

Weiss took a deep breath.

"Nervous?"

She shook her head.

"Not exactly, Mister Asbeth. It's just that, well...there's been a lot of work leading up to this moment. Sometimes I have to take a minute to let that sink in."

The second floor of _Project Alpha_ had, after many hours of labour, been completely transformed from its past self. Where once there had been naught but empty boxes and junk, now there were clean-cut sectors, all organised and primed for future development. If this business took off properly, a few offices would certainly go a long way, and while Weiss' office at the end was certainly coming along well, with its fancy desk and nifty computer, the rest were, for the moment, falling to the wayside. But that was fine. While the business was just getting started, the patrons would be restricted to the main floor, so the mostly non-existent upstairs would go unnoticed. In theory.

"Whatever you say, Miss Schnee," Asbeth muttered, making a token effort to straighten out his formal trench coat. "So long as your speech ain't interrupted by a case of the jitters, I suppose it doesn't matter too much either way."

"Oh, please," Weiss said, rolling her eyes. "When you've had to sing to an arena full of strangers, performing a little sales pitch to some ragtag students is child's play."

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

"Enter!" Weiss exclaimed sharply.

The Beacon Prom was still far on the horizon, and while it was obviously something he wasn't accustomed to wearing, Jaune had come prepared with a slim black suit, complete with a red bow tie that gave the otherwise plain attire a suave quality. It was a slick complement to Weiss' garb; a long, flowing ball gown, its perfect whiteness reminiscent of winter's first snow.

_Not half bad, Mister Arc...perhaps if you wore it a little better, I'd even say you look rather handsome._

"I was getting some odd stares wearing this thing…" Jaune complained, pulling a little on his bow tie. "There _is_ a reason you requested a suit, right?"

"There's _always_ a reason, Jaune; you should know that by now. After all, we can't have you looking like a scruffy little stray while you're standing next to me on stage, can we?"

Jaune's face blanched.

"M-me? On stage? Are you _trying_ to make me the school laughing stock? Er...more than I already am, anyway."

"Now now, no need to be like that! _I'll_ be the one talking, thank you very much; all _you_ need to do is sit there and look pretty, nodding your head once in a while."

"Look pretty?" Jaune repeated, grinning. "Should I have borrowed a dress from one of my sisters?”

"Perhaps for the next event, Jaune," Weiss replied, a devilish smile creeping across her own face.

Meanwhile, Asbeth was trying to make a stealthy escape, and he almost got through the door before Weiss snapped her fingers.

"Mister Asbeth!"

He groaned.

"Yes, Miss Schnee?"

"Where exactly do you think you're going?"

"...somewhere else?"

"That's terribly rude of you, Mister Asbeth, considering I'd asked you to accompany myself and Jaune on stage."

"Yeah, well, best made plans of Weiss and men and all that, so I’ll just be-"

"Not on _my_ watch. You _will_ accompany us, Mister Asbeth, and after that, you can go off to the Metropolitan and become inebriated with _my_ money, if it pleases you."

"And if it doesn’t?”

Weiss gritted her teeth.

" _Please,_ Mister Asbeth?"

"Better. I'll be waiting on the other side, Miss Schnee," Asbeth said, his trenchcoat flapping slightly as he pushed his way to the lower floor.

Jaune blinked.

"...you and him go way back, huh?”

"And how exactly did you come to that conclusion?"

"You're cold to people you don't like, but you're _vicious_ to people you do...and sometimes, really, really nice. Sometimes."

"Oh, is that so?" Weiss asked hotly. "Because, Jaune, I have to say I'm feeling rather vicious tonight. Do you know what that means?"

Jaune gulped.

"Am I getting dragged on another manor adventure?"

"Oh no, that would be _far_ too simple. Congratulations on your promotion, Mister Arc," Weiss said mysteriously, skipping over to the door and slipping through before Jaune had the chance to respond.

"Damn it. That girl's going to be the death of me, isn't she?"

Jaune sighed, reluctantly making his way over to the door.

_She's a pretty death, at least._

* * *

Despite the lines she'd fed to Asbeth, it would be fairly on-point to say that Weiss Schnee was a little on-edge. It wasn't the performing aspect; after all, as she'd said, she'd appeared in front of far more than the one hundred or so Beacon students that had piled into the hall, chattering away here and there. If she had to guess, it would be that, before, she had been acting out someone else's lines; the songs had been chosen for her, the little speeches she'd made had been wrought from another's hand. This, however, was all her own making, and the ice queen couldn't help but dread a chilly reception.

_Hm…here goes nothing, I guess._

Weiss' heels cut through the low talk like the sharpest knife as she walked onto the stage, promptly followed by the much less graceful forms of Asbeth and Jaune. Silence greeted the hall as she stepped up to the microphone, steeling herself for what was to come.

"Fellow students of Beacon…" she began, her voice taking a practised resonant quality. "Welcome to the opening night of our school's finest enterprise to date. Now, perhaps you've wondered amongst yourselves...what exactly _is_ this enterprise you speak of? I've heard mutterings that say I'm donning an apron and starting a mess hall; yet others whisper that this is some kind of elaborate subsidiary of Schnee corp that has been handed down to me from my father. However, I'm afraid that, while these are both legitimate ideas in their own right, I must dash these rumours against the wall. For you see, the business I have planned is far, far more interesting."

Weiss detached the microphone from its stand, pacing down the plain wooden stage that, despite its rapid construction time, appeared to be holding up perfectly well.

"Isn't it a shame, my fellow students? Isn't it a shame that, despite dubbing ourselves hunters and huntresses in training, it is so terribly rare that we actually get to do any _hunting_? Essays, field trips to collect innocuous materials, stale lectures from Professor Port...I don't think I need to dwell overmuch on these things, for as we all know, they have become unfortunate parts of our daily lives. So, my hunters and huntresses...what would you say if I were to announce a little something that might well fulfil that hunting itch that has gone unscratched for so long? And, not only that, that you would also be able to make a fair amount of lien on the side. What say you to this?"

A cheer erupted through the audience, and while the uproar continued, Weiss clapped her hands, prompting a previously unseen banner to fall from the roof, its crimson red providing a stark contrast against the plain white walls of the building itself. Upon the banner, expertly printed, was a light blue snowflake, not so far apart from the traditional Schnee logo...that is, apart from the two golden arcs that now pierced through the top.

"Today I announce Vale's newest organisation, the Aurora guild! Accepting applicants from any Beacon student, Aurora will offer hunting missions not so different from the ones executed by hunters and huntresses across the globe, providing not only experience, but financial rewards as well! No more will Grimm harry our gates, for experienced guild members will be there to cut them down! More interested in protection contracts for Vale's more paranoid citizens? Aurora will be there to help, offering up bodyguard work to give our citizens, and your wallets, peace of mind. And finally, after the proud guild members return to the hall with their spoils, they may partake of delicious pastries and wondrous beverages, all the while swapping stories and generally enjoying the company of their fellows."

Weiss returned the microphone to the stand, spreading her arms wide.

"So, I ask again, dear students of Beacon, my brothers, my sisters, my friends...what say you to this?"

"YES!" the crowd thundered, shaking the very foundations of the building itself.

"Then, with myself, Weiss Schnee, as President, and Jaune Arc as Vice President-"

"WHAT?!" Jaune cried, but the roar of the crowd swallowed it up.

"-I swear to you all that we will lead you to a future where essays, lectures, material collection...a future where all such things are a mere distraction from the work of a _real_ hunter or huntress. Join the Aurora guild, brothers and sisters, and live out your full potential!"

Weiss waited on-stage for quite some time, basking in her handiwork. People were her instruments, and given the crowd's reaction, this particular speech had come out a masterpiece. Finally, she picked up the microphone again, walking to the front edge of the stage.

"Flyers will be available on your way out, but until then, enjoy yourselves and eat well! After all, what's a guild hall if it hasn't been lived in, hm?"

With that, Weiss returned the microphone and stepped off the stage, dragging the still bewildered Jaune Arc with her as she strode back to her office. The students soon resumed their chatter and merriment, this time centring the conversations around the exciting new guild that had announced itself on their doorstep.

Convenient, really, since all the talking happened to mask a rather loud THUMP from further up the building. As Asbeth pushed his way over to the main doorway, refusing a flier from the pasty little helpers Weiss had rounded up from a nearby inn, he began to wonder what exactly she was planning to do with her little friend once they were upstairs.

Or, more importantly, whether he should tell his best man that his son was banging none other than the heiress of the Schnee corporation herself.

_Nah, probably not. Better to keep these things a surprise, right?_

* * *

Of course, the noise that had pierced through to the ground floor had nothing to do with sexual relations, as hilarious as Asbeth would have found them. No, instead, Weiss was confronted by the towering form of Cardin Winchester, garbed in stone and holding an unconscious man by the back of his deep black cloak.

"Might want to hire a bodyguard, Schnee," Cardin rumbled, his voice imitating the tone that Spade had held back at the manor. In a contemptuous motion, he slammed the man down onto the floor, a silvery black emblem tumbling out of his cloak.

Weiss gasped in shock, but Jaune merely peered at the metal in confusion.

"Uh…what am I looking at, here?" he asked, somewhat unnerved by Weiss' horrified expression.

"The Black Arrow…" she breathed, her legs suddenly feeling far less sure of themselves.

"Can’t say I’ve heard of them. Are they a guild?"

"Not just any guild, Jaune…"

Weiss grimaced.

"An _assassin's_ guild."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a bit late, I think I lost a day somewhere. The next chapter will be up tomorrow to compensate.
> 
> \- Soulwithlife/Blake Phoenix


	4. Desynchronised

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved.

"An assassin’s guild…?”

It was a hard pill to swallow. Jaune had grown up in a countryside setting, and as such, he'd never really known much organised crime...certainly nothing that formed as an official _guild_.

"How could the police allow that?" he asked confusedly.

"Half are idiots, rest are paid shills," Cardin answered curtly, drawing his mace. "Schnee Corp knows that better than anyone."

“And what is that supposed to mean?" Weiss asked, the steel apparent in her voice.

"Your father's company isn't known for its compassion, put it that way.”

"Hmph! It may lack ‘compassion’, but I can assure you that Schnee Corp’s every move is highly calculated. Why sink so many resources into an heiress only to have her killed?”

“Could be some of them think you’re too much trouble. I'll bet they want someone more pliable on the throne of Schnee Corp, and some toadie lower down took a shortcut."

"Why are you so sure it’s Schnee Corp?" Jaune asked, giving the enormous man a suspicious look. "Is there a particular reason, or are you just going off a hunch?"

"Call it past experiences," Cardin replied, his voice taking a final sort of tone.

In the meantime, Weiss performed an examination of the assassin's body, frowning.

"You didn't kill him, did you?"

"Not yet. Should I finish the job?”

"Not right now, Spade," Weiss said, ignoring Jaune's horrified expression. "As it happens, questioning dead men tends not to get much done. Do you have some way to bind him?"

"No," Cardin replied bluntly. "Earth semblances aren't great with delicate stuff like that. I'd just end up crushing his ribs."

"Perhaps not, then. Any ideas, Jaune?"

He shook his head vigorously.

"No way am I helping you torture a guy, not even an assassin! That's just wrong on all sorts of levels!"

"It's _interrogation_ , Jaune, not torture," Weiss replied briskly, rolling her eyes. "If he doesn't give us answers, we’re not going to break his fingers…just threaten to, perhaps.”

"And what about afterwards?”

"The cops will take him," Cardin cut in. "They might not be good for much, but they'll at least keep him in custody for a while before his guildmates buy him out."

There was a short pause.

"Killing him's also an option."

"Spade!" Jaune exclaimed, horrified. "We can't just murder a man in cold blood!"

"Eh, easier than hot blood...takes a while for fire dust to get into the system, you know."

"None of that, thank you very much!" Weiss commanded imperiously. "And Jaune? Stop looking like you're about to throw up. We're not killing him, and we're _definitely_ not torturing him. Now, do you think you could use your semblance to contain him somehow?"

"Maybe?" Jaune replied dubiously. "I've not had a lot of practice using shields to keep things _in_ , but I guess it could work. What if he breaks out, though?"

"So what?" Cardin shot back. "We're not giving him any weapons, here. If he gets through your shield with his fists, I'll be here to smack him back down. Done it once already, after all."

"Right…" Jaune muttered hesitantly. "Then how are we going to wake him up? It's been a good ten minutes or so, but he still looks out cold."

"Leave that to me, Jaune," Weiss assured. "In fact, now that I think about it leave everything but the shield to me. No offense, but you're liable to just mess things up."

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Have you ever conducted an interrogation, Jaune?"

"Have _you_?"

"Yes."

Jaune blinked.

"Oh. I, uh, guess that's okay, then," he mumbled pathetically. "I'll just be over here, preparing my shield, being useless…grumble grumble…"

"Spade…you just stand off to one side; try and look a bit menacing, if you can. I'm not going to hurt the assassin, but _he_ doesn't need to know that."

"Hmph, whatever you say."

"And I'll...search the assassin, removing all weapons I come across. Joy."

It took a good few minutes, but by the time they were done, everything was set up fairly nicely. The would-be killer was laying prone in a little golden bubble which, with a little help from Weiss' glyphs, was ever so slightly hovering in the air. Hoping to improve the mood of the scene, Weiss had insisted on lowering the intensity of the room's dust-powered light sources, providing what she hoped was a far more antagonistic atmosphere to conduct her interrogation. Still, the light was just enough to spy Cardin's hulking form by the corner, along with the multitude of sharp implements Weiss had confiscated from the assassin. Jaune recognised many of them as standard hunter weapons, but there was one in particular that seemed especially mysterious; a long, slim arrowhead, with five miniature dust canisters embedded within.

"It's not important, Jaune," Weiss answered upon inquiry. "Just don't go touching it."

"Is it poisoned or something?"

"In a sense...now get back to the shield, please; I don't want it blinking out on me when I'm in the middle of a monologue, you know."

Speaking of Weiss, it was high time she put her wake-up plan into action. Drawing Zinnia, she twirled it like a conductor’s baton, soon producing a large, bright orange glyph just below the bubble. It was a little difficult to tell exactly what was _on_ the glyph from where he stood, but if Jaune had to guess, it almost looked like the magical symbol was a piece of clockwork, though the hands of this particular timepiece were moving at an unusually fast rate. After a few seconds, the assassin groaned, and as soon as he did, Weiss' odd glyph vanished into the night air.

"Eurgh...my head…" he said, just about managing to sit up in his little golden bubble. "Where…? Oh, I see. Hello, Miss Schnee."

The assassin's cheery countenance caught Weiss off-guard, as did his surprisingly youthful voice. Still, she was soon back on track, and one of her trademark ice-cold glares was enough to dampen the assassin’s good mood.

"Could you, uh...could you not do that, please? It's really quite unnerving."

"So are attempted assassinations," Weiss countered, still keeping her eyes fixed on the would-be killer. "But I suppose you wouldn't understand that, Elliot."

"Ah, so you know my name!" Elliot crowed happily. "That makes things a lot faster. I _hate_ introductions."

"You're…not going to ask _how_ I know your name?"

Elliot frowned.

"I hope you didn't pay a lot for it, Miss Schnee...I mean, it was on the inside of my clothes, after all. Oh, speaking of clothes, can I slip this thing off? It's _super_ hot in here."

Weiss watched incredulously as Elliot removed his heavy black cloak, revealing a young man who reminded her a little too much of her fellow students. While his face had seemed old at first, with its thick brown beard and heavy scarring, the rest of him was thin and boyish, and there was a very real possibility that he was only a year or two older than she was. His black tank top and business-like trousers made for an unusual contrast, and while she hadn't been sure of it before, she was now convinced that he was wearing a commemorative necklace from one of Vale's famous sports teams.

"You're acting rather blasé considering your situation, Elliot," she observed. "You do realise the unpleasantries my associates could subject you to, yes?"

"Of course I do, Miss Schnee. What’s on the agenda?"

"Nothing, if you’re willing to talk."

"In that case, what would you like to talk about?" Elliot bounced back. "I'd prefer a conversation about the West Vale Ravens, to be honest, but I'm sure you have something else in mind."

"That will not be necessary," Weiss stated coldly. "All I'm concerned about is who employed you."

"The Black Arrows!" Elliot answered cheerfully.

"I mean who hired _them_."

"Ah, I see! Sorry, I kind of misunderstood you there. Hm, let me think…"

Elliot scratched his beard.

"Igneus of the Red Hunters, if I remember correctly."

"And how do we know you aren't lying?" Weiss asked. "After all, you came up with that answer a little too quickly for my liking."

"Well, I'm going to die in approximately one minute and thirty seconds, so there's not much point in me telling you fibs, is there?"

Weiss blinked.

"We're...not going to kill you, Elliot."

"Did I say that? I mean, I guess you _could_ , but that'd be kinda redundant, I think."

"What do you mean?"

"Simple! You asked me who I worked for, I told you, so now I'm kinda dead."

Weiss glanced over to Jaune.

"I can assure you that they aren't getting through this shield, Elliot."

"That's okay, Miss Schnee," Elliot assured, leaning back with a dreamy expression on his face. "I mean, it's kind of hard to get in when you're _already_ in, ri-"

Elliot had stopped talking. Perhaps if you knew him already, you would have found this hard to believe; after all, he was well-known around the poorer districts as quite the chatter-box.

Of course, being unable to breathe converts even chatty men to mutes.

"Why would that...but...my shield…?!"

The golden globe that had imprisoned Elliot quickly evaporated as Jaune rushed over to a sink in the corner, letting Elliot's corpse drop to the floor. Weiss, having experienced such first-hand death before, merely shook her head sadly, and after Jaune had finished emptying his stomach, she laid a hand on the poor boy's shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault, Jaune," she reassured soothingly. "There was nothing you could do..."

"He...he was just a kid," Jaune whimpered, burying his head in his hands. "That could have been me! And...and he was just so serene about it, too! Why…?"

Perhaps it was the situation that did it. After all, when someone dies so suddenly and so cleanly right in front of you, it would be enough to make most people act erratically. That was how Weiss justified it, at least, as she gave Jaune a surprisingly tender hug, holding him close as tears ran down his face. After a minute, it seemed as if Jaune had cried himself out, his expression hollow as Weiss released him from her embrace.

"I…thank you," Jaune said weakly.

"Don't mention it. No, seriously, do _not_ mention this to _anyone_."

Jaune managed a sad little grin.

"Those rumours again, huh?"

"Like you wouldn't _believe_."

As Jaune’s focus returned, he became aware that Elliot's corpse was now slung across Cardin's shoulder and, for some reason, he was holding the arrowhead from earlier in an iron grip.

"What are you going to do with his...body, Spade?" Jaune asked, resisting the urge to retch again.

"Taking it to the police," Cardin said simply. "This thing’ll prove he's a Black Arrow."

"Are you sure they'll believe you?"

"They don't have to. One look at the arrowhead and they'll get an autopsy on this guy, and that'll prove it for sure."

Before Jaune could ask anything else, Cardin had left, opening the same window he (and, by extension, Elliot) had used to enter and bolting out into the night.

"Weiss?"

"Hm?"

"What did he mean by an autopsy? What would that prove?"

Weiss bit her lip.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. They say that Black Arrows are never alive long enough to answer their questions, but I always assumed that was because they were assassinated by their own brethren...apparently it's a little more complex than that."

Carefully stepping around the area Elliot's corpse had once occupied, Weiss went over to the window, taking a breath of night air before closing it with a solid _thud_. She turned to Jaune, giving him a sympathetic look.

"I'd recommend you go back to Beacon and get some rest. It's been a long night, and I can't have my Vice President missing out on sleep."

"Yes ma'am," Jaune said dryly, but by the time he'd reached the door, his former smile had faded back to a frown.

"If I can even get to sleep…"

With that, Weiss was left alone in the upper room. Out of habit, she went over to her computer, idly half-tapping the keys as thoughts zipped around her head.

_Igneus…why you? Why now?_

_What have you got to prove, cousin?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remastering a chapter doesn't usually take all that long, but this one proved surprisingly in-depth. I wonder why?
> 
> \- Soulwithlife/Blake Phoenix


	5. S Support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Late chapter means the next chapter's gonna be early, yadda yadda, you know the drill. Hope you like it!
> 
> \- Soulwithlife/Blake Phoenix

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved.

_A tower rising from a forest. A raging beast, its slumber disturbed, destroying all in its wake. The green and pink try to fight, but are quickly overcome. Even the strong, dependable burgundy is swept away by the creature, left to rot in the black abyss._

_Then, after all his protectors are gone, gold is left alone._

_Terribly, horribly alone._

“AUGH!"

Jaune leapt from his bed, hands shaking uncontrollably as he desperately tried to pull himself together. Looking around, he found that he was still in his team room, with Nora having migrated over to Ren's bedside at some point, the both of them sound asleep. Shaking his head, Jaune glanced over to the window, hoping that he hadn’t woken anyone else up. _Especially_ not-

"Jaune? Are you okay?"

Looking radiant even in her plain blue nightclothes, Pyrrha Nikos peered out from behind the gender-dividing curtain, her kindly green eyes tinged with worry. Jaune was half-tempted to lie and tell her to get some rest, but the nightmare's spectre continued to haunt his mind.

"I...hm. Pyrrha, could I talk to you about something?"

Nodding, she hovered over to the bed, giving Jaune a little space as she rested her hands in her lap.

"You had a nightmare?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, but...I don't know. It just seemed so _real_."

"I know what you mean. I don't tend to get them much anymore, but back when I was younger, I used to have _terrible_ nightmares about the tournaments I entered. Sometimes I'd lose, sometimes I'd mess up and cause someone to get badly hurt...either way, it was little comfort for a little girl who just wanted to make her parents proud."

She paused for a moment, frowning as she noticed the dark bags under Jaune's eyes.

"It looks like yours were a lot worse, though. Could you tell me what happened?"

Jaune sighed, running an idle hand through his hair.

"It was about the beginning of the year, I think...back when we were fighting for our lives in the Emerald Forest. There was something there, some kind of Grimm...but for whatever reason, we couldn't beat it. Nora, Ren, even you…none of you made it out, and no matter what I tried, I couldn't move in to help. All I could do was watch as you were tossed away into the inky blackness…"

"Is this the first time you've had this dream?"

"Yeah…"

"I thought so. Usually you sleep like a baby."

Jaune raised a curious eyebrow.

“I do?”

"By which I mean, uh…" Pyrrha stuttered out, blushing faintly. "I haven't heard you wake up like that before, so you must have slept well?"

Jaune grinned mischievously, which only seemed to make her blush further…but after a time, his expression became melancholy once more.

"Would it matter if it _wasn’t_ the first time I’d had it?”

"Well...maybe I've heard it wrong, but people say that dreams are reflections of our reality. When we have nightmares, it can often be because of something new and mysterious in our lives that has tipped things off the usual balance."

"So you think the dream was triggered by some new event?"

"I think so, though I can't imagine what it could be. Unless…?"

Pyrrha sent him a concerned look.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me, Jaune?"

He glanced back towards Nora and Ren, thankful that they were still sound asleep.

"Promise not to tell anyone?"

"My lips are sealed."

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"You know how I went to Weiss' opening party last night?"

"Yes, you told me about it before you left. Seemed to me that you were a little nervous...did something go wrong?"

"Not in the way you're thinking, no. See, the ceremony went well, I think, and I even got named Vice President...but it was afterwards when things went bad. When Weiss and I went to the upper floor to sort things out, we found that an assassin had prepared to kill her, and it was only by a stroke of good luck that he was caught before any damage was done."

"An assassin? In Vale?"

"To be honest, I couldn’t believe it either. Weiss made me put him in a shield bubble while she interrogated him, and though we found out some good info, the guy seemed kinda...off. He kept talking about not having long left after being captured, and even when we reassured him that the shield would protect him, he just seemed to shrug it off."

His hands started shaking once again as Elliot's last moments flashed before his eyes.

"He was just a kid, Pyrrha...just a kid like me, and even as I tried to protect him, his life slipped away. It wasn't some epic struggle, some great battle against good or evil...it was just a click of the fingers, a second on the clock. It just didn't seem right, you know? People, even criminals, deserve better than that…"

Pyrrha clasped his shaking hand in her own, motioning for him to continue.

"It was then that it hit me. I mean, it's not like I've never thought about dying, but it always seemed like some kind of glorious affair. My grandparents and their parents before them were always painted as near-invincible warriors, triumphing against impossible odds to save the day against the Grimm...and if they died, well, it was for the greater good, right? It was only when I saw the assassin's death that I realised how weak life really is...all our lives, even. Maybe that's what the nightmare meant."

"I'm...not sure what to say," Pyrrha admitted. "You're grappling with some fairly philosophical concepts there, and I'm not sure I'm the best person to help.”

She paused, looking down to the ground.

“Still...I suppose what you need to remember is that, in the end, we're all destined to pass away, one way or another. The trick is making the most of the time you have so that, when you do eventually die, you aren't left wondering about all the things that could or should have happened. From the sounds of it, no matter what you could have done, the assassin in your care would have died regardless...so wouldn't it be better to let it go?"

"Heh. You don't give yourself enough credit, Pyrrha...are you sure you didn't study philosophy?"

"That's more of my grandmother's trade, I’m afraid. Still, if my little bits and pieces of life experience have helped you along, then I'm glad I said them. It's...unpleasant when I have to see you in pain, especially from situations that are so difficult to overcome."

"Is that why you were trying to help me with Cardin before?"

"Yes…and no. As hard as it might be to believe, I know how it feels to be bullied, Jaune, and I wouldn’t wish something like that on anyone."

Jaune averted his gaze.

"I'm…sorry I didn't listen to you back then."

Pyrrha chuckled.

"I said to let things go, didn't I? That wasn’t just for recent events, you know, especially considering how much you've grown since then."

"You mean how I've stopped being a total tool?"

"Well I wouldn't go _that_ far, but...you certainly did have some foolish ideas floating around."

"What, like dating Weiss?"

Pyrrha's heart stopped.

"E-er, I don't see what's so foolish about that! She, um, seems like a very warm individual, once you get to know her!"

"Maybe, but before the whole Cardin thing, I didn’t really pay much attention to other people. If I had, I'd have realised that Weiss wasn't really into me from the start. That’s just how it goes, y’know?”

"That's...a shame," Pyrrha said slowly, resisting the urge to celebrate. "So does that mean Jaune Arc has his eyes on a different lady?”

"You could say that," Jaune replied mysteriously. "I think she might be a little out of my league, though."

"Oh…really?"

Jaune swallowed hard, looking bashfully to the side.

"I mean, what's a guy to do when he falls for the red-haired girl on the cereal box?”

Silence consumed the room as Jaune's confession settled like a blanket, even drowning out Nora's raucous snoring in its intensity. Eventually, when Pyrrha remained frozen, he started to walk towards the bathroom, blushing furiously.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it, I'm sure you-"

But before he could make it very far at all, Pyrrha pulled on his hand, standing up herself so that she was practically toe to toe with him. With eyes as bright as moonlight, Pyrrha spoke with a cool, confident voice.

"I think, Jaune," she said deliberately, gripping his hand tighter. "I think that the girl on the cereal box might appreciate a guy who treats her the same way he treats everyone else.

"And she doesn't mind that the guy's a big dork?"

Pyrrha smiled warmly.

"Not at all. In fact, she thinks that's part of his charm."

_Okay Jaune, think; what do we do in this situation?_

_Run away!_

_No, other than that!_

_Fight?_

_What? No! Where's the brave Jaune in here?_

_Oh, that's me._

_So what do you think we should do, brave Jaune?_

_Well-_

(Un)fortunately, before brave Jaune could comment, the chain of thought that had led up to him was tragically cut off as Jaune Prime found himself heavily distracted by a sensational kiss on the lips.

It wasn't the greatest of kisses. Pyrrha had never dated anyone before, and Jaune _definitely_ hadn't, so there was a lot of improvising going on. After a good few seconds, the kiss was broken off, leaving the two looking rather breathless.

"Well. That was, er…" Jaune began, his mind completely blank.

"Good?"

"Oh, er, good, yes. Definitely good."

The two paused briefly, their gazes locked.

"Want to try again?" Pyrrha suggested brightly.

Meanwhile, over on the other side of the room, a slightly sleepy Nora sneakily watched, trying her best to suppress a giggle. Instead, she simply decided to ruffle Ren's hair, which didn't seem to disturb his sleep in the slightest.

_I wonder how many desserts Yang'll give me for gossip this juicy? Then again, it'd be kinda hard to sell, since a good half of the school seems to pair up Weiss and Jaune instead. Ah well, not my job!_

As Nora settled back down to sleep, a certain other Beacon student was rudely awakened. With sloth still evident in her expression, Weiss stumbled her way through the team room, just about managing to make it over to Zinnia's glowing form. As she clumsily tried to shut off the light, an odd thought came to her.

_I should make Cardin my bodyguard. That way, he'd keep me safe, and I'd get to spend more time with him, too._

A minute passed as Weiss simply stood there holding her weapon, and the longer she did so, the less it seemed like an odd idea more of a logical and intelligent idea that she had come up with all on her own. If anyone had been awake in the room to hear it, they would have noticed the faint tinkling of laughter as Weiss set the weapon back down, crawling back into her bunk and settling into a feverish sleep.

 _Yes, Weiss…there’s a good girl_.


	6. Objection!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved.

Cardin Winchester, son of Elijah Winchester, student of Beacon Academy and earthen protector to Bianca Schnee...was currently staring deep into a large, vinegar-soaked tomato. It was _really_ large, actually, and while Cardin was no farm boy, he had a sneaking suspicion that tomatoes weren't supposed to grow to be the size of someone's hand. Was it safe to eat? Had covering it in vinegar angered it? Was this some divine punishment for his sins?

"Ahem. May I sit down?" a sharp female voice cut in, forcing Cardin to begrudgingly set his food thoughts aside so as to not appear a complete simpleton in front of the one and only Weiss Schnee. Focused as he was on fruit-based escapades, it wasn't all that surprising that she had managed not to draw his attention until that moment, but even then, Cardin had an odd feeling that she had deliberately avoided detection, perhaps to illicit some kind of surprise reaction from him.

No such luck there; like the earth itself, Cardin seemed positively unshakeable as of late, merely motioning for Weiss to take a seat before pushing his plate off to one side.

"Morning, Weiss," Cardin greeted. "Sleep well?"

"Well enough for a woman fearing for her life, I suppose," she responded bitterly, laying a delicate hand on the mess hall table. "How about you?"

"Not great. Kept waking up in the middle of the night. I'd say it was my boys playing pranks, but since they've all gone back home for the holidays, it was probably just something I ate."

"Is that why you're down here so early?"

"Kinda, kinda not. Thought this would be a better place for you to let out your annoyance than in my room. Less soundproofing, you know."

"'Let out my annoyance'?"

"Well, you're going to ask me to do something and I'm going to say no. Then, when you've left, I'm going to continue…'eating' this tomato. Probably."

Weiss raised a dubious eyebrow.

"You're acting awfully smug for someone who's so perplexed by fruit."

"Blame it on the early-morning grump. Anyway, you gonna ask me your thing or not? The faster I turn you down, the faster I can get back to doing nothing in particular."

"You don't even know what I'm going to say!" Weiss exclaimed hotly.

"I'm not joining your business, I'm not being your bodyguard and I'm not venturing into the Emerald Forest to pick you plums. I reckon that's got all my bases covered."

"And why is it exactly that you would refuse to be my bodyguard?" Weiss asked, the frustration evident in her tone. "It's not like I'm asking you to do it for _free_ , you know."

"Pay isn't the problem," Cardin stated bluntly. "The problem is having everyone in your little posse constantly giving me dirty looks when all I'm trying to do is protect you. Plus, unless you're suggesting I stay as Spade all the time, Jaune’ll figure out who the warrior from the mansion was pretty damned fast when I start using my semblance.”

"You've thought about this already?"

"Mmhm. Planned to offer it myself before logic kicked in and put that particular idea in the trash heap."

Weiss pouted, crossing her arms.

"So there's nothing I could do to change your mind?"

"Not that I can-"

Suddenly, a burst of light began filtering through the mess hall's enormous windows, and, after his eyes had readjusted, Cardin found himself drawn to the weapon at Weiss' waist, now glittering in the sunlight.

"Hm…actually, maybe there _is_ something that might change my mind," he mused, memories of the manor flooding back to him.

"Oh? Do go on."

"Your weapon, Zinnia. Give it to me, and I’ll be your bodyguard."

"You can't be serious! I'm not going to give up my weapon! What would I do for the Beacon assignments where we have to slay Grimm? Are you going to do those for me, too?"

"Since when was Zinnia 'your weapon'? Last I checked, you were just using it while Myrtenaster was getting repairs, so why not hand it over?”

Without warning, Weiss grasped Cardin's hand, peering across the table with someone else’s eyes.

"But Spade, it _is_ my weapon, don't you see?" 'Weiss' said smoothly, letting out a girlish giggle. "Now do be a dear and protect me, won't you?"

Even as Cardin reeled in shock, Weiss returned to her senses, immediately blushing and retracting her hand as she realised what had happened.

"I, um...did I do that?" she asked, putting a hand to her forehead. "I'm sorry, I think I was out of it for a minute there."

"Yeah…you could say that," Cardin mumbled, his eyes still fixed on Zinnia. "Anyway, you can forget what I said before. Consider me your bodyguard from now on."

Weiss blinked.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why the sudden change of heart? You seemed so against it before.”

"Forgive me, Weiss," Cardin replied softly. "That was before I realised what an excellent opportunity it would be to spend more time with such a lovely young lady."

Weiss turned bright red.

"A-are you making fun of me?"

"Not at all. What, never had someone flirt with you before?”

"That's none of your business!"

This time it was Cardin's turn to link hands, all the while delivering Weiss a sultry look.

"It could _become_ my business, if you like."

Weiss bit her lip.

"And if I don’t like?"

"Then I’ll never mention it again."

Weiss paused.

"I’ll…think about it," she said finally, standing up from the table. "But for now, our relationship is staying in the work-safe zone, if you please."

"If that's how you want it," Cardin replied, shrugging.

"And in the meantime, I'll be needing you in Vale every weekday from ten o'clock sharp, do you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Weiss."

"Good. Now, if you don't mind, I've got some news to spill to my teammates. Dust knows how they'll react to my near- _assassination_ , considering they were nearly bouncing off the walls when I went off to the manor with Jaune."

"Who knows? Maybe you'll end up with four bodyguards by the end of this."

"It'd surprise me more if I _didn't_ , to be honest. Talk to you later, Cardin."

"Mmhm."

As Weiss walked back to her dorm room, her head chock full of new ideas, Cardin instead elected to empty his mind, returning his focus back to the interestingly uninteresting tomato that still remained on his plate, possibly now more condiment than fruit.

Better that than thinking too much on what he'd just discovered, after all. Especially since, if he thought about it hard enough, he might have had to question the morality of his current actions.

Ah well. Maybe next time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter this week, but that's not my fault; you can blame past Soul for that.
> 
> \- Soulwithlife/Blake Phoenix


	7. Guild Wars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved.

Many things in life frustrated Weiss. Her father, Professor Port's lectures, undercooked hot dogs...but nothing quite compared to sitting on a perfectly functional business and not being able to use it.

"Been doing it up?" Cardin asked, looking curiously around the room with his mace slung across his shoulder. “Seems a bit much, though I’ll admit art’s not my thing.”

Weiss had certainly been busy since the meeting in the cafeteria. The formerly bare walls of Project Alpha's second floor had been cleanly and precisely decorated by a variety of beautiful paintings, one for each 'sector' of the room. One was a lovely watercolour depicting a couple walking through a street, several autumnal trees by their side illuminated by street lamps. Another was an abstract piece, seemingly just random bits of colour to Cardin, but to the more artistically inclined, it portrayed the anguish of the human condition…supposedly. Lastly was the painting in Weiss' sector. While it seemed a simple portrait of a young, blue-eyed woman, Cardin had a feeling there was more to it for Weiss to put it in her own booth.

"I suppose it's not for everyone," she replied simply, moving her motley collection of pens around the desk. "Still, whether you are vulnerable to its charms or not, a good piece of art completes a room like nothing else. It...gives it a certain kind of peace that an office needs, in my opinion."

"I don't really see it, but sure, whatever. Not like I ever did much interior design."

Finally content with the organisation of her desk, Weiss soon had to confront the reality of having nothing to do for several hours while the rest of the students finished their last day at Beacon...well, until the holidays were over, at least. It was only by the grace of Professor Ozpin that Weiss herself wasn't stuck in the classroom; according to him, preparing for the first real day of business was 'more important than we teachers giving ourselves a pat on the back'. Unfortunately, after preparing the job board, attending to the cleanliness of the main hall and decorating the second floor, she had a good few hours left and nothing in particular to do with them. As Cardin made a cursory examination of the abstract painting, an idea began to form in Weiss' mind.

"Cardin?"

"Yeah?"

"It'll still be a fair amount of time until Aurora officially opens, and I think I'm about as prepared as I'm going to get. Would you like to accompany me outside?"

"Accompany you?" Cardin asked, raising an eyebrow. "We going somewhere nice?"

"I hope so. There's this ice cream parlour near here that Nora told me about...Orin's, was it? She said they stock some unusual varieties there, and I've been meaning to drop by for a while now, but…"

"Life got in the way of living?"

"Something like that, yes," Weiss said, smiling sadly. "So what do you think, Cardin? Want to come with me?"

"You signed me up as your bodyguard, Weiss; like it or not, my answer’s ‘yes’. Still, I guess going for an ice cream date sounds nice enough," Cardin finished, winking roguishly.

"Hmph, how presumptuous!" Weiss exclaimed. "As much as you might wish it to be, this _isn't_ a date, Cardin. It's an...outing."

"Whatever you say," Cardin replied dubiously. "But I'll warn you, if anyone sees us out together, _they'll_ certainly assume it's a date."

"As if I don't already have rumours of my love life circling around," she mumbled bitterly. "Who knows? It might be good to throw some confusion into the mix. Maybe then they'll stop assuming that Jaune and I are an item."

"Well I wouldn't-" Cardin began, cutting himself off.

"You wouldn't what?"

"It's...nothing," Cardin lied, running a hand through his hair. "Better you hear it from someone else."

"Hear _what_?" Weiss demanded, frowning. "Has there been another rumour going around?"

"You could say that."

"Cardin, if you don't stop being so opaque, I swear I'll-"

"WEISS!"

Just as soon as it had appeared, Weiss' anger swiftly evaporated, swept away by one of Ruby's famous tackle-hugs. Soon enough, Blake and Yang followed, watching amusedly as Ruby dodged around her sour teammate.

"What _are_ you doing?"

"Checking if you're alright, duh! Did you really think I wasn't going to worry about you when some assassin's guild tried to kill you?"

"Well, I...no, I suppose not," Weiss admitted, smiling despite herself. "Still, what are you all doing here? Did classes end early for the day?"

"Ha, that's one way of putting it!" Yang responded enthusiastically, punching her fists together. "Me and Pyrrha were called for a practical demonstration in one of the classrooms. After half of the walls had holes in them, Glynda decided that it might be best for us to, uh...what'd she say, Blake?"

"'Not cause the school's maintenance bill to skyrocket'?"

"Yeah, that was it! Anyways, that's why we all got released, and as soon as we were, Ruby was off like a little rocket. You _could_ have taken my bike, you know?"

"I needed to get here fast, and Bumblebee's too slow!" Ruby whined, pouting.

" _Sure_ , Rubes, you keep telling yourself that. Hey...something wrong, Blake?"

All of a sudden, Blake's face had twisted into a snarl. Following her gaze, Weiss soon figured out why.

"What's _he_ doing here?" Blake spat, her bow pushing forward threateningly.

Cardin remained silent, simply giving Weiss a look as if to say "I told you so".

"Uh, well…" she began, wringing her hands nervously. "I hired Cardin as my bodyguard for when I'm here at Aurora."

"But why _him_?" Blake demanded, pointing an accusatory finger at Cardin. "He's done nothing but torment Jaune and repeatedly discriminate against the faunus! Do you really want someone like him watching your back?”

"Hey now, Blake, let's be reasonable here!" Yang cut in, putting out an arm to hold her friend back. "It's been a while since the troubles with Jaune, and I doubt Weiss would hire someone like Cardin unless he's changed. Right, Weiss?" she asked, putting a slight edge in her tone.

The only one who seemed fine with the development was Ruby, who was currently giving Cardin's weapon a rather intense look-over.

"That's a dust mace, isn't it?" she asked finally, her eyes bright. "Aren't those kinda rare? I've only seen them in weapons magazines!"

Cardin raised a curious eyebrow.

"You're not going to question me like everyone else?"

"I'm not?" Ruby said, confused. "Didn't I already ask two questions?"

"Hmph…then yes, it's a dust mace, and yes, they're rare. It's a family heirloom from my mother's side."

"Ruby!" Blake called out.

Ruby turned sharply, giving her teammate a disappointed look.

"Blake, do you trust Weiss?"

"Of course I do, but-"

"But what? If Weiss thinks Cardin's okay enough to be her bodyguard, then he’s okay in my book, too. If you _really_ trust her, don't you think you should feel the same?"

"Besides," Weiss cut in, resting a hand on her desk. "Everyone deserves a second chance, don't you think? After all, a certain friend of mine taught me not to judge someone based on what they've done in the past, didn't they?"

For a time, Blake remained silent, simply staring at the floor. Soon enough, however, she found herself walking up to Cardin, giving his towering form a skeptical look.

"You've changed, have you?"

Cardin grimaced, bringing his weapon down to rest.

"Less than you'd like, I'll bet."

"And your opinion on the faunus?"

Cardin shook his head.

"I despise the weak. All who are given a bad lot, who are put upon by the strong and do little to stop it...that sort deserves every ounce of disdain they get. Should the faunus rise up and fight for their equality in more than some token terrorist movement, I'll consider them as equals…but that day hasn't come yet, has it?"

The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife as Blake put a hand to her weapon, her expression menacing.

"Blake…" Yang said worriedly, beginning to inch forward. "Now really isn't the time-"

"I knew it! You're the same bully you've always been, no matter how you try and put it," Blake accused, crossing her arms. "But then...maybe Ruby's right. If Weiss decided to make you her bodyguard, there must be _something_ good in that thick skull of yours."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Cardin retorted, turning away. "With or without your approval, I'm going to do my job, and no amount of your petty words will make that any less true. Long as you keep that in mind, we're golden."

"Fine. Now, if you don't mind-"

"He's WHAT?!" Weiss exclaimed, her expression set somewhere between confusion and disbelief as everyone looked to see what the fuss was about...save for Yang, of course, who was now wearing a rather mischievous expression as she stood by Weiss' side.

"I swear, it's true! My informant was a first-hand witness, even!"

"Huh? What's going on?"

"Oh, nothin', Rubes. Weiss is just having a little trouble getting to grips with some juicy new gossip."

"What, you mean the Jaune and Pyrrha thing?"

"I can't believe it!" Weiss shouted, rubbing her temples. "Someone like Pyrrha going off with that...that _dunderhead?_ And furthermore...gah! Was this what you were going to tell me, Cardin?"

"Mm. I was hoping Jaune would be the one to let you know, else I would have cut to the chase sooner."

Unfortunately, before Weiss could fully get to grips with the situation, there came a rather insistent knocking from the door.

"Someone actually _knocked?_ Well, that certainly makes for a change of pace...come in!"

As soon as Weiss gave the word, the bulky door nearly got knocked off of its hinges as Pyrrha tumbled through, panting heavily.

"Weiss! Jaune...guild...assassins!" she spurted out, and as Weiss was about to ask her to calm down, Pyrrha thrust a sheet of crumpled yellow parchment into her hands.

"Read it...please…"

The handwriting was unfamiliar, if meticulously neat, and though the message was smudged in places, it didn't take long for Weiss' keen eyes to decode it.

_Dear Weiss Schnee,_

_It was an excessively foolish move to send a spy into my organisation so soon after your failed assassination attempt. If you want this 'Jaune' back alive, you will come to the Red Hunters' guild hall at nine pm...alone. Rest assured, if I see even the slightest hint of someone else, the boy's life is forfeit._

_Signed,_

_Igneus Stormcrow._

Silence fell on the group.

"It's got to be a trap," Blake commented, wiggling her bow. "But you’re still walking into it, aren’t you?"

Glancing between Pyrrha's pained expression and Blake's skeptical one, Weiss could only sigh, slumping her shoulders.

"Of course it's a trap, even an idiot could see that! But then…"

"What other choice do I have?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One dimensional bully characters are boring. Is my version of Cardin out of character? Quite a bit, yes. Is he more interesting? Definitely.
> 
> \- Soulwithlife/Blake Phoenix


	8. Ignite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved.

Weiss' heels cracked against the misshapen flagstones as she trudged further and further into the shadier part of Vale. Naturally, most low income housing was very near to the outer wall, since that was where the Grimm would strike first, and while Vale never had a _slum_ , the surroundings that greeted Weiss were not far off. The only streetlights present were on the main path, casting an eerie blue glow when they weren't busy short-circuiting or else missing altogether. On the paths that the light dared not touch, bits of junk and refuse were strewn about, and as the evening went on, Weiss found herself seeing bent assassin shapes amongst the rubbish, lying in wait for a single moment of weakness.

"Not here," she whispered, pressing onwards through the cool night air. "Not today."

After several minutes of agonising paranoia, she finally found what she was looking for; a neon sign reading 'Red Hunter's Guild' in the shape of a lightning bolt. The building it belonged to was plain and unassuming, not unlike its neighbours to each side, but unlike them, the Red Hunter's complex was in excellent condition, scrubbed from top to bottom in a way that Weiss almost found impressive. However, scanning the red bricks for further information, she couldn't help but frown. Where was the door? This _was_ the correct approach, wasn't it?

Suddenly, as if to answer Weiss' queries, an eerie static eased out from the wall, and with the assistance of some turning bricks, a gleaming silver speaker revealed itself.

"Attention, visitor," a soothing soprano called out. "If you are here on an appointment, would you be so kind as to present your invitation to the viewport?"

Glancing around like a trapped mouse, Weiss scuttered over to a small black lens that had emerged beside the speaker. As if holding some kind of vermin, she gingerly waved Igneus' letter over the viewport, biting her lip as it scanned the contents. After a sharp ringing noise sounded from the camera, it seemed it was time for the guiding voice to pipe back up.

"Thank you very much, Miss Schnee. If you will wait a moment, an escort will arrive shortly to guide you inside."

The bitter air was little comfort as Weiss was forced to wait for her 'escort', leaving her to glare menacingly at the beady black lens, hoping that it would somehow unnerve her troublesome cousin. Thankfully, merely ten seconds or so after the speaker's announcement, another section of the wall morphed and shifted, revealing a crude doorway occupied by a tall female figure. Thick silver armour glowed with its own light which, while certainly impressive, gave an odd contrast with the enormous black broadsword belted to her waist, its length pulsing with magical energy. It was all Weiss could do not to recoil in horror; even with a rune-inscribed scabbard, a malevolent force seemed to scream into the air, asserting its dominance over any and all nearby.

"Welcome to the Red Hunter's Guild, Miss Schnee," the woman greeted, her voice holding an odd hollow quality to it. "While you and your family are not well-liked in these halls, know that for as long as my master commands it, you are under my protection. If any man, woman or Grimm wishes to engage you in combat, they will be forced to go through me first. Do _not_ deal with them yourself. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes ma'am," Weiss responded, speaking in the same servile tone she used with her father. "But may I ask to whom I currently speak?"

The woman's vacant amber eyes stared right into Weiss' own, but instead of looking _at_ her, her eyes instead seemed to peer past, much like someone gazing out of a window. 'Unnerving' didn't even _begin_ to cover it.

"Karyan," she said finally, reaching a gauntleted hand back to adjust her blood red cape. "It is not my true name, but it will do for the moment. Now, are you ready to proceed?"

Weiss barely managed to get a nod out as Karyan turned around regardless, striding through the door at a brisk enough pace that it forced her to go into a half-jog. As she stepped into the guild hall proper, however, she soon realised that Karyan's vow of protection may have been entirely necessary. The only thing that outnumbered the hateful stares she was receiving from the guild members was the sheer amount of alcohol on the ground floor bar which, at least as far as she could tell, comprised the _entirety_ of the ground floor. Still, even as the patrons, in various states of inebriation, regarded her with disdain, their expressions also bore great fear for Karyan, no doubt helped by the tenebrous sword in her grip.

Eventually, Weiss and her temporary bodyguard made it over to the staircase at the end of the hall, and while it appeared to be a simple black stone at first, it swiftly lit up upon contact, displaying job information for new Red Hunter missions. It was impressive, certainly, but she couldn't help but question the practicality of the setup, considering the large quantities of alcohol so close at hand.

"Impressed, Weiss?" an adenoidal male voice slithered from her right. "It certainly cost a pretty penny to implement...though I suppose a Schnee wouldn't understand such things, would they?”

It had been at least ten years since she'd last seen Igneus, but even so, Weiss had to admit that she was caught off-guard by his appearance. Gone was the confident, muscular teen from her youth, and in his place sat a lanky young man with greasy, curly black hair, several expensive cigars sticking out of the pockets of his formal black suit and a lunar crescent hanging precariously from one ear. The wandering onyx eyes she so remembered hid behind opaque blue sunglasses, something that seemed especially peculiar considering the low-light of the guild hall. Nevertheless, the same charismatic voice and disarming smile had remained with the man, but no matter how much Igneus tried to turn on the charm, Weiss knew well enough not to trust the man any further than she could throw him.

"No more than a Stormcrow understands wisdom, I suppose," she retorted, folding her arms. Igneus let out a barely-disguised snarl, slamming a fist down onto his rich mahogany desk.

"Oh, so _you're_ going to lecture _me_ about wisdom, hm? Not only did you send an assassin to kill me which, let's be honest, is a truly idiotic move in and of itself, but after that, you thought it was a _genius_ idea to send a _spy_ of all things!"

"I don't know where you get your information from, Igneus, but you should probably get it checked out. I didn't order any assassins, and if anyone from my guild came to spy on you, I assure you they did it without my consent."

"The spy seems to think otherwise. Far as he's concerned, you gave him secret sealed orders to infiltrate my guild, and given the way he traipsed in here like he owned the damned place, I don't reckon he's smart enough to lie.”

Weiss sighed, massaging her temples as she tried to figure out why the universe hated her so much.

"Was the document on his person?"

"Well, yeah, 'course it was. What of it?"

"Did it happen to mention anything about _you_ sending assassins?"

Igneus leaned back in his chair, picking out a cigar and absently twirling it in his fingers.

"Hm, now that you mention it, yeah, it did. I just assumed it was the usual Schnee brainwashing that your dad always tries to pull."

"It very well might be, but it certainly isn't from me. Last night I was visited by a Black Arrow, and while he obviously failed in his task, he claimed that he was sent by you. Can I assume that your confrontation went similarly?"

"You…think someone's trying to set us up?"

"I don't think they're trying, Igneus. Considering I'm already here, I think they've succeeded."

Reaching into one of his many pockets, Igneus pulled out a lighter, leaning even further back as he set his cigar alight, puffing softly as his brain worked away.

"Let's assume for a moment that you're not just giving me typical Schnee bullshit and you're actually telling the truth, as unlikely as that is. What does this idiot get by sending your blonde boy off to my guild? Did they think that I would simply execute him, and by doing so, get us at each other's throats? Because honestly, before young Jaune decided to pay me a visit, I was planning on dropping by your lovely little guild hall and razing it to the ground anyway.”

Smoke flew from his mouth as she shook his head.

“So, I ask again...what does this guy get from making us compare notes? Isn't that exactly what they want to avoid?"

"I’m…not sure," Weiss admitted. "They wanted us both here, tonight, but beyond that, I don’t really…know?”

It started off slowly at first. If she had to compare it to anything, it was like feeling your heat ebb away in a pool of chilly water, but in a matter of seconds, the chill shifted into a positive blizzard. Weiss desperately tried to stay standing, to stay awake, but as every second passed, a little more of her energy fled from her body. As she felt her legs give in, she tried to locate the source of the drain, realising that what she had previously mistaken as an insignificant bauble on Igneus' desk was in fact much, much worse.

She couldn't move; hell, it was all she could do to keep _thinking_. Perhaps everything would be okay if she just...had a nap…

_Oh no you don't!_

The spherical device on the desk grew and expanded, now roughly the size of a football, and even as Weiss felt herself gradually slip into unconsciousness, _something_ was keeping her awake. Having completely lost control of her limbs, she could only watch as a bright pink aura covered her skin, somehow protecting her from the sphere's vile absorption.

"Now this simply won't do, will it?" a voice complained from Weiss' lips, pushing her into a standing position. "Let's see...where _did_ that boy get to?"

In a flash of pink light, Weiss vanished from the guild hall. Igneus was coughing and cursing as he crawled away, desperately searching for something in his pockets while his strength continued to wane. Karyan, meanwhile, seemed unaffected by the device, snarling with anger as she brought her sword down with as much force as she could muster.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

* * *

Jaune ached all over as he cracked his eyes awake, not quite comprehending as Weiss stood in front of him, cloaked in pink aura. This was a hallucination, right?

"Hello, Jaune," someone said, smiling warmly.

_Of course it's a hallucination. They said the way down was barred, right?_

"I'd recommend covering your ears, by the way. It's about to get _really_ noisy!"

"Yes, Weiss…" Jaune mumbled, semi-delirious as he cupped his mucky hands around his ears.

"Weiss?"

Even through his cushioned ears, Jaune could hear the ear-splitting boom from up above, flinching as bits and pieces of rock poured from the roof. Still, the cavern refused to collapse, and looking up, he realised that his hallucination was giving him a disappointed finger waggle.

"That's _Bianca_ to you, thank you very much!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lateness on this one! I'm suffering a little with my health at the moment, but I'm still trying to stick to my schedule...emphasis on trying >.>.
> 
> \- Soulwithlife/Blake Phoenix
> 
> P.S - If anyone's here from my other fic, To The Heart Seeking Freedom, this is why I haven't posted a new chapter yet. Please accept my apologies!


	9. Cave Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved.

It hadn't been an easy day for Jaune. Sure, it had started out well, what with the whole 'Pyrrha and I are somehow a thing now holy crap how did that happen?' thing. Unfortunately, that proved to be the high point of the day, since once he received the letter from 'Weiss' requesting he infiltrate the Red Hunter compound, he had a sneaking suspicion that things were going to go downhill. Some may have called it pessimism, but for Jaune, it was more like universal inevitability.

"So anyway, that's how I ended up in the tunnels beneath Vale. Er, I think that's where we are, anyway," Jaune finished, brushing bits of loose debris from his hair. "So how'd you get down here W- er, Bianca?"

"Oh, I just teleported here," she replied offhandedly, pacing back and forth over the cracked cavern floor. "There was a bomb going off in the main building, so I made sure my niece here made it out alive. It just wouldn't do to be without a host at such a pivotal time, now would it?"

Jaune brought himself up to a standing position, checking over his usual garb to make sure everything was in place. It _seemed_ like nothing was damaged in the chaos, but there _was_ something missing. Something important.

"Er, Bianca?"

"Yeees, Jaune?"

"Did you see my weapon up there? Maybe propped up against a wall or something?"

Bianca massaged her temples and, as she did so, proceeded to fall flat on her face.

"Weiss- er, Bianca! Are you alright?"

Jaune found it was a lot like holding jelly as he struggled to prop her up against a wall, her face set in frustration.

"Gah, why does she have to be so _tall_ and _skinny!_ " she whined. "It's like trying to walk in heels, except...well, I'm already wearing heels, I suppose."

She pouted.

"It's- it's like walking in _two_ pairs of heels! Do you have any idea how _hard_ that is?!"

"Er, Bianca?"

"What do you-? Oh, right, your weapon. I don't _remember_ seeing anything up there, no, but if you're worried about it being caught in the blast, you’re best spending energy elsewhere. I mean, if all it took to destroy a legendary weapon was an itty bitty explosion, I bet they'd all be long gone by now, hm?"

"Huh, I guess you've got a-"

"And besides, what do you need that thing for, anyway? _I_ have my weapon, and I think you'll find I'm much more competent with it than Weiss ever was!"

BOOMF. Bianca had managed to trip over her own feet. Again.

"This proves nothing!" she protested, putting on a very wobbly effort to get upright. "Er, okay, maybe it proves _something_. Something _dumb_. Stupid stilt legs…"

Making an almost emoticon-like sad expression, Bianca fumbled at her belt, drawing Zinnia to its full length and, not a second later, dropping it with a clatter.

"This...er…this doesn't normally happen, I swear!"

"Okay…um, not to be rude, but is Weiss still in there?"

"Yup, but she's sleeeeeepy. Whatever that bomb thing was, it drained her dry as a desert, so she's going to need some time to recharge before I can let her back in the driver's seat."

"Or _if_ you let her back in the driver's seat?"

Bianca tilted her head to the side, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, so _now_ you bring up the moral implications of possessing a functionally unconscious individual! And here I thought it'd be the _first_ thing you'd say!"

"For someone who's struggling to walk, you sure did dance around that question pretty well."

"If I wanted my sentences over-analysed, I'd write a book. Lay off, butthead."

" _Butthead_? What are you, ten?"

"Thirteen, actually! Now if you'll stop arguing for a moment, maybe we can actually make a plan of action. Want to know what step one is?"

“…pick up the sword?"

"Yeeees, that would be a good idea, Jaune, unless you were planning to fight any Grimm we come across with those noodly arms of yours."

"At least I can _control_ my noodles, Miss Bumbles,” Jaune retorted, wrapping his hand around Zinnia's hilt and bringing it up to the...light?

"Wait, where's all of this light coming from, anyway? I didn't notice any torches around."

"Look closely at the walls and ceiling. Who knows, maybe you'll actually learn something?"

Disregarding Bianca's snippy tone, Jaune cautiously approached the nearest wall and, looking it over with a more thorough eye, he soon spotted little varicoloured shards embedded within, each emitting a surprising amount of light.

"What is this stuff?"

"Unrefined dust crystals, or at least, what’s left of them after the miners had their way. Back when I was still alive, the caverns beneath Vale were a reasonably new discovery, but I guess there's been a lot of work put into them since then."

"So they just left them here?"

"Looks that way, and from the feel of things, there's a few Grimm who've took place for themselves. If we're going to make it out of here in one piece, you're going to need to use Zinnia to its full effectiveness."

"I was about to ask about that, actually."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, 'cause I was wondering why you have these dust thingies on your weapon if your semblance is teleportation."

"I _can_ do it through glyphs, you know, but I feel like you're missing the point somewhat. You realise that you don't need a glyph semblance to use Zinnia, right?"

"You don't?"

"Nope. It's not your ordinary dust rapier, if there ever was such a thing. Just pull the trigger and...poof! Dust projectiles."

"And they gave this to a thirteen year old?"

"Well my brother got _his_ weapon at the same time, so it wouldn’t be fair to leave me out, would it?"

"That doesn't really...you know what? Never mind. I don't really want to hear about Schnee family politics right now...or ever, if I can get away with it."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Beneath all the murder and subterfuge, I guess we _are_ pretty boring."

"Uh huh. Wait, hold on, I just thought of another thing."

"Good golly, will wonders never cease? What's that now, _two_ unique thoughts? In a row? Is that some kind of personal record?"

"Dust, you're worse than Weiss sometimes," Jaune grumbled. "At least her snark didn't get in the way of actually doing things...most of the time."

"Hey, _you_ try reverting to toddler-like body control sometime. I'm sure you'll find the experience just _lovely_."

"Fair do's, but let's try and stick to the point. I mean, you teleported to get down here, right?"

"Mmhm."

"So can you teleport us back up?"

"Yyyyyy- no, not really."

"What? Why not?"

"Well, I managed to get down here because I had your aura signature to lock on to, but I can't feel anything from up above us."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Imagine if you had to walk around with a blindfold on, except that, instead of bumping into things in your way, you could end up walking _inside them._ Are you feeling _that_ lucky?"

"So…that's a no?"

"I've died once already, Jaune; if at all possible, I'd rather not make a repeat performance."

"In that case, what about _this_ one?"

Since the way back was essentially a dead end, there was only one direction left to go. Unfortunately, as the pair wandered up and around the bend of the cavern, they soon found themselves confronting a huge metal mesh rudely barring them off from the rest of the tunnel system.

"You want to hop over to the other side?" Bianca asked, supporting herself on one of the walls.

"That was the idea. Can you do it?"

"I don't see why not. I mean, I teleported an entire _mansion_ before, so what's a stilt-legged girl and a lanky boy to that, hm?"

"Hey! I am _not_ -"

"-lanky?" Jaune finished, the feeling of momentary non-existence leaving him a little short of breath. From the looks of things, the tunnel now split into two paths, and while it was a little difficult to pinpoint which one it was coming from, he definitely heard a faint growling noise emanating into their portion of the cavern.

"That...doesn't sound good."

"What, you don't think it's some kind of Grimm bunny rabbit?"

Jaune readied Zinnia as a strange rumbling flowed through the floor, followed by an even stranger growl. Suddenly, the earth to his left began to rupture, and from out of it sprung an enormous mole-like creature, it's characteristic white Grimm claws coming in for a slice to his neck. Just in time, however, he managed to step backwards, and wielding Zinnia like a club, slammed the weapon into the Grimm, sending it careening off into the cavern proper, snarling.

"It's a _rapier,_ Jaune, not a longsword!Don’t slash, _thrust_!"

Trying to remember what he'd seen from Weiss' practical demonstrations at Beacon, it was only by a stroke of luck that he realised the mole was coming in for another attack and, unable to dodge this time, put up a shield to block it, momentarily stunning the mole. Taking the opportunity, he gripped Zinnia with both hands, bringing the point down right into the Grimm's torso. This particular Grimm didn't seem content to give up without a fight, though, and with Zinnia still embedded within it, it began digging down with tremendous force, trying to tear Zinnia from his grip.

"The trigger! Pull the trigger!"

His obedience instinct finally kicking in, Jaune's index finger curled around Zinnia's decorated trigger, and with a firm pull, launched out some fantastical fire and ice into the Grimm. An unholy shrieking pierced the air for a moment, but only for a moment.

"Hm…not too bad, Jaune," Bianca commented, walking over to inspect the Grimm's swiftly disintegrating corpse. "I can tell you're not used to the weapon, though."

"I definitely miss Crocea Mors right now, but if this thing keeps me alive, I don't really care if I look like a complete moron using it."

"Don’t worry, there’s no ‘if’ involved, there.”

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

"Huh? Sounds kinda like a...scroll?"

He sent Bianca a hard look as she rifled through her pockets, eventually pulling out Weiss’ customised Beacon scroll.

"Nnnope, looks like some kind of tech to me."

"It's...that's the name of it, Bianca. A scroll."

"Ooooh, I get it. So I guess I just- bah!"

As Bianca pressed a finger against the scroll's surface, the slippery tech flew out of her grasp, smacking into a jutting dust crystal with a worrying CRACK.

"Uh…woops?"

Just as Jaune supressed the urge to scream in frustration, the scroll perked up, a slightly garbled message floating out the speakers.

"Weiss…" Ruby's slightly distorted voice sounded, her tone tinged with concern. "If you're still alive, _please_ send us a message back as soon as you can! We were standing by in case you needed us, but then everything just sort of...exploded! It was horrible! Cardin's digging through the wreckage right now, but he's not finding anything...please be alive, Weiss. _Please._ "

Bianca glanced towards Jaune as the message ended.

"That girl...she cares much for my niece."

"Yeah, I guess they _do_ seem pretty good friends," Jaune muttered enviously.

"Friends? That's not how _I_ was reading it."

"What?"

"Never mind, Jaune. Right now, we need to focus on getting topside, and _fast_. You might have taken care of that mole Grimm, but there's no telling what else could be down here. For all we know, we might be the only living things for...miles?"

Bianca stopped, peering over to one of the tunnel exits.

"Do you hear that?"

"The humming sound?”

"No, that's just the crystals. Listen closer."

Straining his ears as hard as he dared, Jaune put all of his focus into listening, perhaps for the first time in his life. For a second, he was quick to dismiss it as nothing, but after a while, there _did_ seem to be something...metallic?

"Yeah, I think I hear it.”

"And it's coming this way, Jaune!"

"Damn it...come on, to the walls!"

Scrambling over to the sides of the tunnel, Bianca and Jaune pressed themselves as flat as they could, thankful for the rocky outcrop that made spotting them much more difficult. The pair could only wait as the metallic sound increased in volume, until finally, a figure Bianca recognised as Karyan stomped out from the right tunnel, her cape in complete tatters. Coming to a stark halt as she entered the chamber, Karyan scanned the room with the same amber eyes that had so pierced through Weiss before. After a few seconds, she drew her sword, walking straight towards Bianca.

 _I remember her..._ Jaune thought. _She was the one who caught me when I tried to sneak into the guild hall! What do I do, what do I do?_

But just as he prepared Zinnia for some kind of surprise attack, Karyan once again came to a halt, using her free hand to put up a 'stop' symbol in his direction.

SHNK. With strength that rivalled Nora’s, Karyan forced her tenebrous broadsword into the ground, the weapon hissing as it was buried into the earth. Her work done, she resumed her inexorable march, and if not for Jaune, it was possible she would have left without saying a word.

"Wait!"

Karyan turned, her expression dead.

"What did you do?"

She shrugged.

"Gave you a fighting chance."

She resumed her walk, undeterred.

"Don't waste it."

As her intimidating figure melted into the shadows, the clanking of her boots ceased...but, unfortunately, that did not mean it was silent.

"Jaune?"

A cacophony of Grimm cries shook the very earth as hundreds of ivory monstrosities rushed out of the tunnels, all hunting for one thing alone; Bianca.

"Jaune!"

There was no choice. There wasn't even the _thought_ of a choice.

Jaune gripped the sword.


	10. The Slayer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved.

"Jaune?! Jaune, what’s happening?!”

Time ground to a halt as dark energy surged up the blade’s hilt, swallowing Jaune’s arm and enveloping him in a nebula of inky blackness. The Grimm, too, had stopped in place, their beady eyes watching in something between curiosity and respect. As the impenetrable orb began to dissolve, drawing its essence into Jaune’s body, the Grimm changed their tune; here and there, whimpers were heard above the howling wind that now whipped through the room, and even stranger, a few of them enacted a full-on retreat.

Not that they ever made it to the exits.

With dark electricity rushing through his body, Jaune swung the blade in an imperious arc, and in a flash, the running Grimm found themselves impaled upon organic purple spikes, their length oozing with a thick, eldritch liquid. Even worse, the spikes only seemed to harm and contain the Grimm; even as the poor creatures screamed at a pitch that ruptured the ears, they could find no release from their pain, prevented from disintegration by whatever malevolent force possessed the blade. Seeing this, their remaining comrades turned hostile once more, the majority surrounding Jaune in a circle and the rest rushing over to Bianca.

_What...what do I do? I don't have enough aura left for another teleport, and Jaune’s…_

Ignoring the various Grimm that had him 'trapped', Jaune turned on the spot to face Bianca, his face set in a monstrous rage.

"MINE!" he roared at the top of his lungs, and with another swing of the blade, sent a whirl of tenebrous pellets at lightning speed, leaving the targeted Grimm with more holes than body. The ones surrounding him saw ample opportunity to strike, diving forward in unison as their teeth and claws tried to find purchase in his vein-covered skin. For a moment, the plan seemed to work, and it wasn't long before the Grimm's natural weapons tore Jaune's form to shreds.

And yet, even as the Grimm held victory in their grasp, they whined, looking around in confusion. Where was the blood, the gore? All that had poured from Jaune's corpse was a fine purple mist, and while several of the creatures tried their best to devour it, the mist simply passed straight through them, slowly collecting until Jaune was reformed, garbed in armour that pulsed an ugly, tainted red, its horned helmet completely open to allow his macabre smile to pierce through.

"NOW IT’S _MY TURN!_ ”

Completely ignoring Bianca, the Grimm looked to surround the new threat as they had before, but Jaune wasn't staying in one place for long. As his body phased in and out of sight, the air around the Grimm thickened, an unholy flurry of swings sending talons and torsos flying against the walls as he laughed like a madman. Finally, after the last Grimm corpse turned to dust, Jaune snapped his fingers, allowing the Grimm on the spikes the sweet embrace of death.

Then, he turned to Bianca.

He smiled.

"J-Jaune...are you...okay?" Bianca asked waveringly, desperately looking this way and that for some kind of escape.

"AURA!" Jaune bellowed, his voice a multi-faceted horror. "GIVE IT TO ME!"

As Jaune charged towards her, Bianca was forced into panic mode, using the absolute last of her aura reserves to teleport to the other side of the metal mesh, hoping, _praying_ that the creature couldn't follow her.

"MINE, MINE, MINE!"

Bianca ran as fast as she could, realising all too quickly that the mesh wouldn't hold for a second against Jaune’s unholy will, but before she could make it far at all, Weiss’ body betrayed her once again. Tripping over as the mesh was blasted into the side wall, Bianca was forced to crawl as Jaune crept ever closer, his laugh a low, ominous chuckle.

"No…" Bianca whimpered aloud, her face buried into the cavern floor. "It can't...end like this…!"

At the very tip of despair, Bianca stopped fighting, tears running down her cheeks as Jaune lifted her up by the neck, the claws on his gauntlets digging into her flesh.

"IT CAN, LITTLE SPIRIT…”

He grinned.

"AND BY MY HAND, IT WILL.”

But as Jaune dug his claws in harder, preparing for dust-knows what, a distant crashing rang out above them; if not for its speed, Bianca would have thought it another Grimm mole. Snarling, Jaune sent her flying against the wall as an figure in earthen armour flew out of the ceiling at ludicrous speed, its arrival shaking many dust crystals out of their sockets. Wasting no time, the figure gripped its enormous mace with both hands, pointing it threateningly towards Jaune.

Jaune responded in kind, his eyes filled with fury.

"YOU…WHO DARES DEFY MY WILL?!”

The figure slammed the hilt of its mace into the ground.

"The name’s Spade."

The square of ground beneath Jaune's feet shot upwards, slamming him into the ceiling.

"And if you don't get away from her, you’ll be lucky to end up six feet under.”

* * *

_Weiss!_

_Hrrmgh…_

_Weiss, come on, get up!_

_Need to...sleep..._

_Come on, Weiss! He needs your help!_

Weiss reluctantly cracked her eyes open, her entire body aching as she surveyed her almost non-Euclidean environment. What had once been a uniform cavern floor was now turned upside down, jutting out in large cuboids with a ceiling dotted in humanoid imprints. Really, though, the upturned earth was the least of the peculiarities; here and there, purple-black spikes poked out from the walls and ceiling, quivering in excitement as they waited anxiously to catch an unsuspecting combatant.

_Was that...Cardin?_

If she didn't know any better, Weiss might have thought Ruby was involved, considering how hard it was to keep track of its participants. Something that looked like Jaune teleported here and there, swinging Karyan's runic blade like a maddened berserker, and meanwhile, Cardin phased in and out of the ground, coming up at random intervals to make a surprise attack with his enormous mace. But even as the weapon bit into Jaune's sword arm, its impact seemed negligible, and Jaune merely brought his other arm in for a gauntleted punch, sending Cardin flying back into the nearest wall. Thankfully, his armour stayed strong, but it was only a matter of time before something broke through.

_Weiss, you need to help him! He can't win this fight on his own!_

_You...who are you? And why are you in my head?_

_I’m Bianca, and the latter can be answered later. Right now, you need to focus on getting up and doing something about Jaune!_

_What happened to him? He looks...different._

_I don't know! He grabbed that weird looking sword when a load of Grimm attacked, and now he's all crazy mode or something! If it weren't for Spade, we'd both be dead...or worse._

_I'm just not sure what I can do. From the looks of it, he's just regenerating from whatever Cardin can throw at him. What can I…?_

Looking to her side, Weiss found that she was now holding Zinnia, though she never remembered feeling it in her hands. Still, now that it was here…

_You have an idea?_

_I do, but it's going to take time._

_We don't_ have _time!_

_We will if I can get my scroll! Ugh, where is it?_

In a flash of pink, Weiss' scroll popped out from the wreckage it had been buried under, returning to her outstretched hands in...workable condition.

_There, you've got your tech. Now what?_

Flipping the scroll over, Weiss thanked her lucky stars that the device's back-panels were undamaged, moving over a particularly loose one to reveal a small, red button. Still weak as a newborn babe, she only just managed to press it down, sighing wearily as the screen flashed a soft green.

Meanwhile, Cardin was showing signs of fatigue as Jaune grew more and more impatient, his blade caught in Cardin's grip. Still, little by little, the blade was inching closer to Cardin's face, and with his aura nearly depleted and his mace knocked to one side, Cardin was running out of options.

"GIVE UP!" Jaune roared. "YOU ARE VANQUISHED!"

Cardin snarled, using the last of his reserves to send a sharp roundhouse kick into Jaune's stomach, knocking him down, if only for moment. Soon, Jaune was back on his feet, and with no strength left to fight, Cardin merely knelt down, clasping his hands together as Jaune gathered an orb of dark energy in his free hand, laughing maniacally all the while.

"YOU FIGHT WELL! BUT NOW, YOUR SOUL BELONGS TO- EURGH!”

The orb completely evaporated as Jaune realised he had a rather large problem. Large in that it was important, and large in that the scythe embedded in his chest was absolutely enormous. As he attempted to heal the wound, however, dragging the scythe out in the process, he found that various injuries suddenly appeared all over his body, and no matter what he did, he couldn't possibly heal them all before new ones were made. He tried thrashing out with his sword, but the sword arm's muscles were severed, and unless he completely reformed, not even dark magic was going to make it move.

"Hey, Jaune!”

Even as he continued to sustain injuries, Jaune couldn't help but glance incredulously at the girl in white. Was she talking to _him?_ And what was that...that wave-thing she was doing with her sword?

Wait, the ground...what was she-?

"Cool off!”

There wasn't quite enough time for Jaune to react, and as what remained of his body was quickly encased, he could only think one thing.

_OH. AN ICE GLYPH._

* * *

The combat ended, Ruby put away Crescent Rose, walking over to her weary team-mate.

"It's okay, Weiss. It's over now."

Slowly, Weiss lowered her hand, letting Zinnia drop to the floor with a loud clatter.

"...Ruby?"

"Yes?"

"I...I don't think I can walk."

"Oh. I guess it's a good job you have a strong team leader to help then, huh?"

Too weak to physically protest, Weiss could only squeak pathetically as Ruby picked her up bridal carry style, grinning mischievously. As her gaze flickered over to Jaune's frozen form, however, Ruby’s smile dimmed.

"Is he…?"

"He's alive," Cardin said, having completely shed his earthen armour. "Or at least, he’s not dead."

"Why, 'cause he's frozen?"

Cardin sighed, returning his mace to its rightful place.

"Not exactly. If that sword is what I think it is, that thing in the ice is just Jaune's body, a husk.”

"So...what does that mean? Where's his soul?"

Cardin pointed at the sword.

"There. Trapped."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That ice pun was quite different originally, and many minutes were spent reworking it. I'd like to think it's a little better, now : P .
> 
> \- Soulwithlife/Blake Phoenix


	11. Fallout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved.

Birds chirped outside the infirmary. Inside, the smell of lavender wafted through the room, a piece of calm amongst dark thoughts. To Weiss' bedside, an adorable brown teddy bear sat, holding a red heart with the phrase 'get well soon'. It was quiet...peaceful.

And yet, a little to her right, draped across the adjacent bed like a ragdoll, was the body of Jaune Arc, and the morn was naught but bitter.

"Are you done wallowing in guilt, or should I come back later?"

Weiss frowned as she eyed the translucent girl currently 'leaning' against one of the infirmary's walls.

"...Bianca?"

"A representation of me," Bianca corrected, sighing. "Without a physical body, I'm afraid this is all you’re getting. Pathetic, really, but I thought you might prefer it to talking through thoughts alone...that is, assuming you _want_ to talk."

Weiss glanced back to Jaune, her mind racing through the events of the previous evening.

"I'd like some answers to my questions, now that we're not underground and on the brink of death."

"I suppose that's fair," Bianca mumbled reluctantly. "Though I’m hardly an omniscient knowledge font, you know.”

"Then just answer what you can...and if I might suggest a first question, your identity might be a good start."

Bianca raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Spade didn't tell you?"

"I thought it best not to ask at the time, considering how subdued he seemed."

"Aw, he looks so cute when he’s like that, don't you think?"

Weiss narrowed her eyes.

"What? Eurgh, _fine._ I am Bianca Schnee, daughter of Elgin Schnee and former heiress to the Schnee Corporation. You know, before I _died_."

"Oh? My father never mentioned a sister," Weiss noted curiously.

"If he's anything like his younger self, Orin never mentions a lot of things," Bianca said. "No doubt he'd prefer if people forgot I even existed, which I'd imagine would be rather easy with all of my records still buried with the manor."

"There _was_ an odd pink room in there when I made my visit. I assume that was yours?"

"It was, yes. Daddy never quite approved of my deviance from our drab familial colour scheme, but with enough puppy dog eyes and some sweet words, I eventually won him over."

"Grandpa Schnee? I always thought he was a very stoic man."

"He was...to the general public, at least. At home, he was about as doting as a father can get."

Bianca sighed sadly.

"He probably died a long time ago, didn't he?"

"I never knew him growing up, so I guess you could say that. People seemed to think he died after seeing my father take the company in the wrong direction, but from what you've said about him, it might have been your death catching up to him."

Bianca looked down to the floor, her expression devastated.

"Dust, I wish he were here right now. He'd know what to do about Jaune...he always knew what to do."

The conversation paused as Bianca pulled herself together, shaking her head.

"Anyway, enough about Daddy. Was there something else?"

"A lot of things, but I'll try and keep it relevant. How exactly do you know Jaune? Was it at the manor, or did you meet after that?"

"No, it was at the manor, though at the time, I thought it would be our _last_ meeting as well as our first. See, I was bound to the aura font below the manor, and when you bumbled into Alice upstairs, Jaune got rather worried. Gave me this moral ultimatum mumbo-jumbo about my sort-of-life being less important than your full-fledged one, and I suppose it worked on me at the time.”

Bianca stretched, letting out a lethargic yawn.

“After that, he stuck his sword into the font, transforming it from its base form to Crocea Eversor, the first Grimm Slayer.”

"And you were bound to the font…? Hm. Not to be rude, but shouldn’t that have killed you?”

"That's what I thought, too, but it seems I got lucky. When Jaune used my aura in the fight against Alice, I was temporarily transferred into the Grimm herself...and, when you stabbed her, I _then_ bounced into Zinnia. After that, it was just a case of passively absorbing very small amounts of your aura until I had the strength to actually affect my surroundings."

"Hold on. If people's souls can be stored inside hunter weapons, why haven't I heard about it? One would think such a pivotal fact would be fairly well-known, especially considering how long hunters and huntresses have been around."

Bianca rolled her eyes.

"Are you using a trampoline to jump to those conclusions, or did you do it all by yourself?"

"I am _not_ jumping to conclusions!” Weiss retorted hotly. “You’re just missing out information!”

"Hey, it's not _my_ fault you never bothered to read _The Legend of the Grimm Slayers_! If you ask me, schools like Beacon should have it as required reading. It’s practically a classic."

"I'll request a copy from the library at a later date," Weiss replied brusquely. "But right now, I'd appreciate a quick synopsis, assuming you can stop yourself from monologuing again.”

"Why you...eurgh, whatever! I assume your meagre education has covered the basics of a hunter's weapon, at least?"

"Of course. A hunter’s weapon is one of their strongest assets, aside from their semblance, and the materials used to create it allow it to be imbued with a hunter's aura, increasing the weapon's durability and strength as long as it remains in the hunter's possession."

"That's...an adequate way of putting it, I suppose, and perhaps I'll continue using your terminology to make things simpler. Imagine, if you will, a weapon that not only conducted aura as a means of strengthening itself, but also stored it, like a battery. Then, once the battery becomes full, it allows the wielder to unleash a truly devastating power. _That_ is a Grimm Slayer."

"But there's more to it, I gather."

"A lot more, but I'll try and keep things brief. The Grimm Slayers were all made around a century ago by a legendary smith, master of her art and one of the first to pioneer the materials that became the standard of modern hunter weapons. The Grimm Slayers were simply the next logical step and, for good or bad, the smith only created seven of them. Crocea Mors, or Crocea Eversor, was the first."

"And the others?"

"Purpura Salvator, Hyacintho Nuntius, Viridi Custos, Vexillum Rubeus and Emundans Albus."

"And Zinnia?"

Bianca frowned.

"No, not Zinnia. Zinnia was made to mimic a Grimm Slayer, but it can’t be classed amongst them; we only replicated the soul storage, after all, not the contracts.”

"Then that still leaves six, including Crocea Eversor. What's the last one?"

Bianca bit her lip.

"...Ater Mors, the sword Jaune used in the caverns. The soul eater."

Weiss shivered, the sword’s malevolence clawing at her memories.

"Are they all like that?"

"Yes, but not in the way you're thinking. See, the point of a Grimm Slayer is that it's an exchange, one which sometimes leads to the user's death. Let’s use Jaune’s as an example.”

Bianca cleared her throat.

“Crocea Eversor is a promise: 'for as long as I continue to fight Grimm, I will be granted the power to defeat them'. It lusts for the destruction of its enemies, and in the absence of that, it requires a memento from its user. Half of their soul, to be precise."

" _What?_ I thought you said Ater Mors was the soul eater!"

"That's because Ater is to Crocea what a thief is to a merchant. While Crocea temporarily takes a portion of your soul, Ater slows siphons _all_ of it, until you're left with nothing but an empty shell, one which it quickly inhabits."

"Is that what happened down in the tunnels?"

"No; as far as I can tell, Jaune was a special case. Since part of his soul was already within Crocea Eversor, Ater had a gap to sneak through and take control. Granted, it's possible Jaune might have been able to break its hold at times, which was unfortunately not an option for its previous wielders, but even so, it would be a very risky business."

"Has...has anyone ever retrieved a soul from Ater?"

Bianca shook her head sadly.

"Does that mean he'll be stuck like this? ...For good?"

Bianca shrugged.

"It's hard to say. Bringing Crocea Eversor to him might restore a portion of his soul, but that still leaves another half that's not coming back."

"You don't know that!"

"You're right, Weiss. I don't," Bianca admitted. "But I _do_ know that no one's ever succeeded with it in the past, so it's not like you can just consult a history book, here. Anything you try would have to start afresh, and it's always going to carry the risk of making things even worse."

"How could things possibly be worse?!" Weiss cried, bringing her fists down upon the bed. "Jaune's permanently unconscious, both of my feet are sprained, and top it all off, I have no idea how my business is doing right now! For all I know, it might have burned to the ground, and I'd just be sitting here talking to my dead aunt about ancient weapons and...and…"

Weiss' lip wavered as she tried to hold back the tears.

"And if I hadn't made Aurora in the first place, none of this would have happened! Jaune wouldn't have been captured by the Red Hunters, I wouldn't have wasted my time on something that was destined to bring calamity, and my friends wouldn't have been forced to sit through my snappy attitude as I desperately tried to pick up the pieces!"

Bianca frowned as her niece broke into tears, trying to formulate some way to comfort her despite her non-existent tact. After scanning the surrounding area, however, she realised that she didn't actually need to.

"Er, Weiss?"

No response.

"You _do_ realise there are three people on the other side of the door, right?"

Even in her despondent state, Weiss couldn't help but look up as the poor infirmary door burst off its hinges, sending three colourful shapes tumbling in, and miraculously, managing not to hit any of the densely packed beds. Ruby was the first to get up from the pile, brushing herself off before rushing over to Weiss' bedside with a bouquet of white roses in hand. Blake, meanwhile, was having a little more trouble rising off of the floor, probably because the somewhat heavier Yang was right on top of her.

"Oops, sorry Blake. Alley-oop!"

Unfortunately, as Yang started to rise, she found that the Blake below her was no longer quite as solid as it had been and, with comical timing that probably wasn't physically possible, was allowed a short pause before promptly faceplanting onto the floor.

"Why…why have you betrayed me so?!" Yang exclaimed melodramatically.

"Maybe you'll keep your hands to yourself next time," Blake replied, turning her gaze to the Bianca's curious form. "And no, before you say anything, it wasn't an accident."

"But the Bellabooty~"

Meanwhile, over in the slightly saner portion of the room, Weiss was caught up in one of Ruby's hugs and, despite some mumbled protests, was actually rather enjoying it. Not _too_ much, of course, otherwise Ruby might start getting ideas. _Friendly_ ideas.

"Okay, Ruby, I'm not crying anymore. You can let go now. Really."

"Awwwww!"

"Besides, you _still_ need to explain what you three stooges were doing on the other side of the door."

Ruby let go of Weiss, her eyes darting from side to side.

"Er... _not_ eavesdropping?"

Weiss facepalmed.

"Yang, Blake? Any other excuses?"

"Oh, no. We were _definitely_ dropping some eaves."

"Yang!" Ruby protested.

"Okay, we were _originally_ just coming to deliver a message, but then Blake heard you talking to Bianca here and, well…"

"You didn't want to interrupt?"

"Hey, that's a good one! I mean, uh, yes. That was it. We were being considerate and not just really nosy. Eeeeeyup."

"Do you even _try_ to lie?"

"Oh trust me, princess, when I lie, you'll know about it."

Weiss facepalmed again.

"That doesn't...why would it…gah!"

"And that was how Weiss went in with a leg injury and came out with a headache," Blake commented dryly. "Speaking of, shouldn't Doctor Lavender be here with you?"

"She was called up to Ozpin's office for some reason," Weiss explained. "It sounded important, but I don't know what it was for otherwise."

"Hm...it just seems a little irresponsible to leave the two of you alone here."

"Alone, is it?"

Blake nearly jumped out of her skin as Ozpin silently stepped through the remains of the doorway, taking a casual sip of his coffee cup all the while.

"If having three young ladies propped up against the door counts as leaving someone alone these days, perhaps I should update my dictionary."

"Wait, you sent us to Weiss to keep her company?" Yang asked, raising an eyebrow. "You know we would've done that anyway, right?"

"When it concerns a matter of such magnitude, I'd rather not take any chances," Ozpin answered simply. "In any case, I _also_ asked you to deliver a message, did I not? Or did you forget about that in all your eavesdropping, hm?"

"No, Professor, we remembered about the message!" Ruby piped up.

"So she already knows that Jaune's weapon has been captured by the Red Hunters, does she?"

The room fell silent.

"No, Professor," Weiss said. "No I did not."

"Ah," Ozpin said, taking another sip of his coffee. "Not the best of news, I take it?"

"That would be one way of putting it,” Weiss replied icily.

"Then perhaps you'll find its partner piece a little more uplifting. Are you aware that Ater Mors is in Beacon's possession at present? That's the demonic soul-eating sword that no one's ever broken into, for reference.”

“It’s here?!”

“Yes, yes, but don’t worry, it’s all properly contained. That’s why I’ve had Doctor Lavender away, you see – with her expertise in pseudo-science, we were able to go beyond the impossible and kick reason to the curb…or something like that, anyway.”

"In other words, we broke into the soul prison with the equivalent of a bent spoon and a box of crayons.”

Ozpin pointed an index finger towards Bianca.

"And with a little help from the young lady over there, we can break Mister Arc _out_ of it."

"Just like that?" Weiss asked dubiously.

Ozpin’s gaze turned to Bianca, his expression unreadable.

Bianca sighed.

"If only it were that simple…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Take note, kids: when you're updating your fic at three o' clock in the morning, make sure it's the right one before you post it -.-. 
> 
> \- Soulwithlife/Blake Phoenix


	12. Dive To The Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved.

Weiss glanced between Ozpin and Bianca, noting the latter's distress.

"Professor, what exactly are you asking her to do?" Weiss asked, a note of concern in her voice. "From the sounds of things, you aren't giving us the whole story."

"It is...no more dangerous than a standard hunter mission," Ozpin answered evasively.

"What?! Maybe I haven't been around for a few decades, but I still don't think 'imprisonment of the soul' is considered one of a hunter's work hazards," Bianca retorted.

"Looks like _someone_ didn't read the terms and conditions…"

"Does anyone?" asked Ruby.

"Only when things go wrong," Ozpin replied dryly.

"The point is, I am not going anywhere _near_ that sword, much less _in_ it," Bianca declared. "I mean, Jaune's a nice enough guy, I suppose, but you're basically asking me to wander into a zombie-infested graveyard to dig up a corpse, with a high possibility that I not only don't _find_ the corpse, but also that I _become_ one. Nuh-uh, not in a million years!"

"Then…is there not some other way of doing this, Professor?" Weiss asked desperately.

"None that aren't purely theoretical, no. It's possible that retrieving Mister Arc's original sword might allow him to regain consciousness, but assuming it even worked, it would be a temporary solution at best."

Weiss frowned, deep in thought.

"What if...what if someone else went into the sword?"

Ozpin raised an eyebrow.

"Forgive me, but I was under the impression that we only had _one_ wandering soul, unless you happen to have another long-lost family member stashed in your equipment."

"No, of course not, but...what if Bianca and I swapped places? She inhabits my body, I siphon into Zinnia and then you perform whatever it was you were going to do to get Bianca inside Ater Mors."

"Weiss, you can't!" Ruby protested.

"And why not? It's not like I'm going to be much use until my legs heal, and since it's at least partially my fault that Jaune is stuck inside that accursed sword, it should be up to me to get him out of there."

"But...what if you don't come back?"

Yang put a hand on Ruby’s shoulder, sending her an encouraging smile.

"Starting to doubt your teammates, eh, Rubes? That's not very leader-like!"

"She's right, Ruby," Blake agreed. "Besides, you know how Weiss can be; when her mind's set on something, there's no stopping her."

"Oh, we’re talking about Weiss here?” Yang teased.

"Hmph. I'm only stubborn about the important things."

"And the pop tarts?”

Blake paused.

"Pop tarts are important.”

"Ahem."

The four girls swivelled to face Ozpin as he put on his most-definitely-not-amused face.

"Perhaps it would be an idea to get on with the task at hand, hm? That is, assuming that Miss Schnee is certain in her decision."

"I am."

"And Bianca?"

Bianca shrugged.

"If Weiss wants to risk herself for noodle boy over here, I suppose I could lend a hand.”

"In that case…Doctor Lavender!"

The sound of sprinting echoed from the hallway outside as Lavender zoomed straight past the room. Ozpin kept his expression neutral, calmly finishing the last of his drink as Lavender backed up like a moving van, muttering outlandish curses until she finally reached the door…well. What remained of it, at least.

"Dust of the ancients, my doorway's turned into a door- _away_! Yo, if any of you could tell me who…no, wait, I already know."

Lavender had her hands full with some kind of wire-covered steel crown, but even so, she kept her eyes moving in the meantime, finally coming to rest on Yang's totally-not-conspicuous form.

"Xiao-Long!"

"Heya Doc! Long time no see!"

"Yeaah, not gonna lie, kinda grateful for that. Seems like every time you come in here you've broken something – or some _one_."

"Ehehe…it keeps you occupied, at least?"

Rolling her eyes, Lavender made her way over to Weiss, delicately placing the unusual crown atop her head with the care of a true coronation.

"I assume this has something to do with the sword?" Weiss asked, finding the device to be distinctly uncomfortable to wear.

"Mmmyeah, you could say that. Best way to describe it would be a weird key-hot chocolate combo, but I don't know if that makes any sense now that I've said it."

"It unlocks things and keeps you happy?" Ruby suggested.

"Right on, Rose! It'll also act as an anchor point so there’s something to get you out of there when you're ready, though the way I see it that's just using the key in the other direction."

"So I just go in, find Jaune, and then come out again?" Weiss asked dubiously. "What if I can't find him?"

"Well, ever since Arc-man got himself into this mess, I've been doing a bit of reading into mindscapes, i.e. the thingy you'll be in when you enter the sword. The way I figure it, Jaune should be easy to find since he'll be the freshest soul in there, kinda like spotting a regular strawberry amongst a load of rotten ones. Once you have him, just head to the exit and you're golden!"

"Sounds easy enough," Weiss commented.

"That's the spirit! I mean, that's also the spirit of anyone who thought marching through a bog would be a nice shortcut, but hey, that's not the point. Just try and have fun, mmkay?"

Weiss glanced over to Bianca, but the latter merely shrugged.

_It'll be rough, but you should pull through. All you need to do now is locate the sword and focus on it. That crown should do the rest._

_And what about you?_

_I'll be taking care of your body. You know, feed it, water it twice a day, that kind of thing._

_Very funny._

_But seriously, I'll be here if you need me. Just say the word, and I'll help you get out of there, Jaune or no Jaune._

Weiss took a deep breath. Ruby squeezed her hand tightly.

"You can do it, Weiss," she assured. “And I’ll be here for you when you get back.”

Slowly, Weiss reached out with her mind, soon finding not only the now familiar pink of Bianca, but another, darker entity. It wasn’t far away, perhaps a floor up at most, and with the crown, the sword's malevolent energy made itself known no matter the distance. Slowly, Weiss’ vision began to blur, but before it escaped her completely, she thought she spied Pyrrha at the edge of her vision, shouting…something.

The thought disappeared quickly, swallowed by the inky blackness. It was time to stare into the abyss.

Weiss could only pray that the abyss wouldn't stare right back.

* * *

A thick purple mist hung in the air as Weiss entered the mindscape, weaving between towering purple crystals that vibrated in a regular, cardiac rhythm. The ground was a lifeless dark mud, the sort that one might find in a forest gripped by winter, with only miniature versions of the crystalline towers breaking the rolling blackness. As Weiss examined further, she realised that she was standing on a slope, and while one end simply lead towards an impassable crystal, the other way lead to what she could only assume was her destination.

While it was difficult to know for sure from such a distance, the building seemed to be a reversed pyramid of some kind, jutting up from an impossibly thin point and reaching a flat, smooth top, joined to the remaining mindscape by dilapidated rope bridges that seemed ready to snap apart at any moment. On the other hand, the pyramid itself was in tip-top condition, its spotless white bricks creating an uneasy contrast between its malignant purple surroundings.

"Hm…it _could_ be a trap," Weiss mused. "A kind of siren call to attract the occupants away from their true destination. Still, even if that's true, that doesn't mean Jaune didn't go there. What to do…?"

Weiss patted herself down, trying to discern what she'd brought with her into the mindscape. From all appearances, her blue patient’s gown from the hospital had morphed into a pure white mini dress she had worn to a picnic once, complete with a floppy straw hat that only just fit over her newly-acquired metal crown. Further down, she found that Zinnia’s dainty form had been replaced by Myrtenaster, though for whatever reason, the dust canisters were only half-full at most.

"I should save my questions for later," Weiss decided. "If this place really is as soul-crushing as it looks, I need to find Jaune as soon as possible.”

With that in mind, Weiss set off towards the nearest rope bridge, looking this way and that as went in case some horrible creature decided to launch an attack. Yet, even as she willed herself to remain vigilant, she couldn't help but notice that, aside from the crystal's beating, the area was an awful, deathly quiet. Not even her footsteps seemed to make any noise, the expected crunch of shoes on dirt simply evaporating into the mindscape's poisonous atmosphere.

"Jaune?! Are you up there?!"

At least her voice resisted the quiet, though it found no partner amongst the wastes. Gingerly, Weiss began inching her foot onto the rotted wood of the bridge, wrinkling her nose as a putrid stench assaulted her senses. Unwilling to back down, she put even more weight onto the rickety structure, quickly discovering that it was completely static, the ropes remaining stationary no matter how much she tried to pull on them.

"At least it’s stable," Weiss muttered, finally putting both feet onto the bridge. “Unlike the rest of this world.”

Drawing Myrtenaster, Weiss continued her trek across the bridge, keeping alert in case the mindscape realised what manner of impossibility it had constructed. Thankfully, the bridge refused to budge, and after a minute or so, Weiss had managed to reach the top of the pyramid, warily stepping onto it as she examined her new environment.

"Dust preserve us…”

Thick, rusted iron chains kept a haggard Jaune rooted to the centre of the pyramid, his lack of shirt allowing Weiss to very clearly see that there was a hole going straight through his chest, though the cleanliness of the wound reminded her more of a paper cut-out than actual missing flesh. His bottom half, meanwhile, seemed to be dotted with the same crystals Weiss had seen rising from the mindscape's lower levels, and while it was happening incredibly slowly, she could swear that they were beginning to grow.

"Jaune?"

Jaune's eyes stared lifelessly into the distance, but as Weiss raised her voice, he couldn’t help but whimper.

"No…no more…" he croaked, his voice thick with pain. "You already…have enough…please…"

"Jaune, snap out of it!"

"Can't…look at the ghosts. Makes the crystals…even worse."

Weiss glanced around once again, but from what she could tell, there was nought but her and Jaune on the pyramid top.

"Ghosts? What are you talking about?"

"Just…leave me!" Jaune wheezed. "I'm already…suffering enough…"

"Ow!" Jaune yelped, his eyes suddenly coming into focus. "That was…sharp. I didn't think the crystals _did_ sharp pain."

"That's probably because it was a slap!" Weiss piped up.

"But that's not…Weiss? Is it really you?"

For a moment, Jaune’s eyes seemed hopeful, but it didn’t take long for his hopes to be dashed.

"Wait, then that means you're trapped in here, too! That's not good at all!"

"Do you really think I'd come in here without a way to escape?" Weiss asked, tapping her floppy hat, "If we can get you off of this platform and down to where I came in, we'll be able to leave this place forever, I promise."

"I can think of at least two problems with that idea," Jaune commented dryly, giving his chains a pathetic rattle. After a nod of permission, Weiss gave them a quick look over, frowning as she realised there was no place for a key around the wrist bindings.

"Have you worn these since you arrived?"

"I don't think so. I started out in the dark bit away from this place, and I thought the pyramid might make a safe haven from all the nasty stuff. As soon as I came into the centre, though, these damned chains tied around my wrists and, well…being haunted seems to put a damper on your escape plans, put it that way."

Weiss ran an eye down Myrtenaster's length, frowning.

"This could be difficult. Ideally I'd need some kind of slashing weapon to break through those things, but Myrtenaster can only impale."

"I wish Crocea Mors was here…" Jaune whined wistfully.

"Mm, if only it wasn't…missing…?"

Weiss glanced back to Myrtenaster, remembering that she had most definitely left it up in her room.

"I wonder…?"

While her memory was far from perfect, Weiss nevertheless managed to cobble together the vague image of Crocea Mors in her head, adding more and more details until it almost looked like the real thing.

"Whoa, what the-"

"-hell?" Jaune finished.

Now, instead of Myrtenaster, Weiss found herself holding what certainly _looked_ like Crocea Mors, though she found that the sword weighed far less than its counterpart. Still, after a few surgical cuts, Jaune was free, so it must have retained _something_ from the original.

"How’d you do that?" Jaune asked in awe. "It just sort of..."

"Came out of thin air?" Weiss finished. "It certainly seemed that way, didn't it?"

"There’s more to it?”

"In a sense. Since my clothes and my weapon weren't anywhere near my original body, I realised that my mind must have created them itself. The next step was, naturally, to test if I could do the same on purpose."

"Right..." Jaune murmured. "Well, however you did it, I'm glad we have Crocea. If I have that, I can…uh…"

Struggle though he might, Jaune rather quickly discovered that while he was no longer bound to the pyramid by chains, his legs were not obeying in the slightest. In fact, as he continued to weakly order them into action, the embedded crystals flared up, sending him tumbling to the ground in agony.

"I…I can't move on my own," Jaune wheezed, his voice wavering heavily. "You'll have to go on without me!"

Wordlessly, Weiss discarded Crocea Mors, and after a little trouble figuring out where to grip him, picked Jaune straight up and onto her shoulder, prompting a rather surprised yelp.

“…you been working out?" Jaune joked weakly.

"I _worked out_ that weight doesn't function how it does in reality, so yes, you could say that."

"Heh, alright then. Just try not to move too fast, okay? Seems like it makes the pain even worse."

"Then I'll try and take it slow."

Despite a few pained protests, the pair were soon back on the same bridge Weiss had taken previously, though she noticed that the purple mist was starting to gather in a rather worrying, tornado-like fashion.

"Is that…?”

"The mist?"

"Yeah. Any idea what it’s doing?”

"Trying to stop us from leaving, perhaps," Weiss suggested, readjusting her grip on Jaune. "Just hang on tight. This could get pretty uncomfortable."

As it turned out, the insistent tugging that ramped up every second was a little more than just 'uncomfortable', and Weiss was forced to keep a stern grip on the ropes to prevent herself being pulled off. Almost at the halfway point, she could no longer resist the pull, but just as she felt herself being lifted up, the sensation suddenly stopped, dropping her back to the ground like an anchor into the sea. Peering through the golden shield, Weiss quickly figured out why.

"Keep…going!" Jaune called out, his brow furrowed in concentration. "I don't know how much longer…I can last!"

Nodding, Weiss stepped up her pace, breaking out into a half-run while still having time to avoid the occasional holes that cropped up in the bridge. Eventually, the pair made it down to the ground below, and while the landing area was now in sight, the mist tornado was on the move.

"Keep…going!"

Even as the shield surrounding her flickered weakly, Weiss kept up her furious pace, darting this way and that as crystals launched out of the ground. From either luck or skill, the crystals found little purchase, but it wasn’t long before they were swept up by the mist tornado, spinning around like purple daggers.

_Oh great, because we really needed that, didn’t we?_

Finally, as the ground itself struggled under the tornado's pull, Weiss came to a stop, recognising that this was the precise spot she had first arrived at. Now all she had to do was…

…what, exactly?

"Hurry!" Jaune exclaimed, the lower half of his body becoming more and more crystalline by the second. "This won't…hold much longer!"

Moving Jaune to the ground, Weiss threw off her hat, reaching to the unpleasant wire crown and screaming in her mind with as much force as she could muster.

_Bianca, get us out of here! Now!_

No response.

_Bianca?! Answer me, damn it!_

_..._

_BIANCA!_

Jaune screamed in pain as the crystals infected his lower torso, but even then, his arm remained outstretched, keeping up his fading shield as the tornado crept closer and closer. Weiss tried to focus her mind, tried to pull something from nothing that could save them, but it was no use; the top of the pyramid had been a paragon of tranquillity next to this chaos. All she could do was draw Jaune closer, the shield tightening around them as she continued her mental shouts.

_Please, Bianca! We need your help!_

The earth was torn asunder as the tornado reached the shield. By now, Jaune was up to his neck in crystal, and as he turned to face Weiss, his eyes were filled with fear.

"This…this is the end, isn’t it?”

The sound of grinding metal pierced the air as the tornado pressed against the shield with all its might.

"Though maybe…not for both of us.”

"What are you-”

In the blink of an eye, Weiss found that the shield had contracted around her, and only her, leaving Jaune outside.

"Jaune, no!"

Through all the pain, Jaune willed himself still as the mist beat against him, allowing himself the last word.

“Thanks, Weiss…for everything.”

Weiss pounded the shield with her fist, kicked it, tried to use her semblance…but in the end, all she could do was watch as Jaune was swept away in the winds, the crystals freezing his face into an eternal, guilty smile.

* * *

It had all been his fault, in the end. He _knew_ the sword was evil, he _knew_ something bad would happen if he wielded it, but through the same foolish bravado that had prompted so many other mistakes, he had done it anyway. He couldn't undo the past, that much was clear…but in the end, he found that he could at least save another's future.

_I'll be rooting for you, Weiss. Don't give up._

Just as the last of the crystal covered Jaune's broken form, he found that he could still see…something. Beyond his translucent prison, hidden within the tornado's swirling death. A light amongst the darkness.

"Through your actions, Jaune Arc, you have given me another chance, another life disguised as death. Now, it seems that I must do the same for you.”

Bianca clicked her fingers.

"Don't screw it up."

* * *

The smell of ash assaulted Jaune's senses, and at the same time, something large, warm and incredibly heavy pressed down on him. Coughing as he tried to repel whatever he was breathing in, he opened his eyes, finding himself buried under what felt like a large quantity of rock, and with his arms and legs trapped in several crevices, it didn't seem like he was getting out any time soon.

And yet, all of a sudden, a penetrating metallic sound echoed through the stone as, little by little, the weight pressing against him was lifted. As the pressure continued to relieve, a persistent muffled voice made its way through to him, though he couldn’t yet tell what it was trying to say.

Finally, after at least a few minutes of digging, a piercing light made its way to Jaune's eyes as the covering rock was tossed aside. Temporarily blinded, he was forced to use his ears to discern what was happening.

"You’re…Jaune! You’re alive!" Pyrrha's voice exclaimed excitedly, quickening her digging pace. Not wanting to rest on his laurels, Jaune realised that, with the majority of the rock shifted, he could actually escape himself. With a heavy heave, he forced himself out into the open, breathing heavily as he felt his legs give way.

"Whoa, steady!" Pyrrha called out, barely managing to catch him before he hit the ground. "You shouldn't try to stand up so suddenly. You could be hurt!"

Jaune glanced around, his spirit sinking lower and lower as he realised where he was.

"Is this…the infirmary?"

"It _was_ ," Pyrrha half-confirmed, grimacing. "But, well, while you were asleep…"

Pyrrha placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Beacon's gone, Jaune."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DON'T CARE IF I HAVE TO SACRIFICE A GOAT TO CTHULU EVERY TIME I WANT TO POST A NEW CHAPTER, I'M FINISHING THIS DAMNED STORY AND NO AMOUNT OF STUPID CRAP IS GONNA STOP ME
> 
> \- Soulwithlife/Blake Phoenix


	13. Time Crisis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved.

It was hard to think about. Beacon Academy, this mighty school, this proof to the world of the hunters' strength…destroyed in an instant. All that remained was rock, ash, and as Jaune was lead through Beacon's corpse, its people, now residing in thick, green tents that seemed miserable in their number.

"Did…did they all make it out?" Jaune asked, all too fearful for the reply.

"It's not as bad as it looks, thankfully," Pyrrha assured, brushing some sharp debris from the path. "Most of the students were on holiday at the time, so there was only a handful of people to evacuate when I came to warn about the bomb."

"Bomb? That'd explain the mess. Was anywhere else hit?"

"We haven't heard any more blasts, but it's difficult to tell outside of that. Ever since Beacon was destroyed, someone's been jamming our communications."

"Do you think it could be the White Fang?"

"Could be…" Pyrrha said dubiously. "I have my doubts, though. After all, if the White Fang had a bomb capable of levelling an entire academy in moments, why use it on Beacon? Why not a Schnee Corp or police building? It just doesn't add up."

"You’ve thought about it a lot, haven’t you?”

Pyrrha smiled sadly.

"When you're alone and combing through the wreckage of your school, it’s stopping the thoughts that’s the hard part.”

Finally, after somehow managing to dodge the debris and keep his bare feet intact, Jaune made it to a hub tent of some sort, judging by the larger size and general murmur of discussion from within. With Pyrrha giving him the signal to stop, Jaune obediently stayed put as she walked casually up to the tent flap, tugging it in a rhythm reminiscent of a secret knock. It wasn't long afterwards that something heavy and metallic was pushed to one side, and with a small squeak of surprise, Ruby Rose peaked her head out into the open air.

"Wow Pyrrha, you're back already? You work fast! Did you have any luck with-"

"Negative, I'm afraid," Pyrrha answered quickly. "But I _did_ find something else…or _someone_ , actually. Jaune, if you would…?"

Ruby gasped audibly as Jaune made his way to Pyrrha's side, jumping all the way out of the tent flap and rather feverishly looking him up and down.

"Holy nuggets, you're alive!" Ruby said, flabbergasted. "We thought you'd, uh…you know…"

"You can thank Pyrrha for that. If she hadn’t found me, I’d still be stuck under a tonne of rubble by now.”

"In that case, thanks Pyrrha! Maybe now Weiss'll stop being all grumpy-grump and 'oh it's all my fault' and stuff."

"I certainly hope so, Ruby. Now, perhaps we should make our way in? I have a feeling everyone will be eager to hear the news."

"Mmhm! Oh, I'll just pop in real quick and let them know you're coming, okay? Otherwise there might be too much 'oh it's Jaune' and not enough 'okay so let's actually decide on something for once', you know?"

As Ruby slipped back into the tent, Pyrrha gave Jaune a wan smile.

"I just wanted to say…"

"Hm?"

"It's good to have you back, Jaune. JNPR just hasn't been the same without you."

"I'm just glad it was me and not someone more important who went missing. I mean, what would you guys do if it was Ozpin under that rubble? There'd be no one around to drink the coffee up!”

Pyrrha giggled softly and, without warning, gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"But if I'd never found you, I'd have no one to do that to, hm?" Pyrrha said cheekily, grabbing Jaune's hand and pulling him into the tent.

* * *

"And I'm telling _you_ that rock most definitely beats scissors!" Glynda exclaimed in annoyance.

"But what if they were dust scissors? Those would cut through rock with ease! And besides, how on Remnant does a mere sheet of paper beat rock?" Port asked.

"Maybe it was _dust_ paper."

"Are you being sarcastic?”

"God, I need another drink…”

"Well there's no need to be like- ah, here they are! Ho there, Miss Nikos! I hear you've brought back a fine trophy from your hunt. Did you slap him around a bit, or has he gone cherry red for a different reason?"

"Just ignore him," Glynda said wearily. "He's been absolutely insufferable ever since his silly Grimm teddy bear went down with the school."

"It was an extremely high quality replica, not a teddy bear!"

"Whatever makes you feel better, Port," Glynda snarked, taking a deep swig from what looked to be something alcoholic. "The others are just ahead, by the way; look for the one-foot-tall debris table. You can't miss it."

Like many of the rooms at Beacon, the tent seemed to be a lot bigger on the inside than it had any right to be, with a cornucopia of teams seated at their own separate tables, all deep in discussion. As Pyrrha made her way through the 'hallway' cut between the tables, quite a few of them turned their attention to the new arrivals, with many reacting with great surprise that she had brought not an item, but a _person_ back.

Meanwhile, at the end of the hall, team RWBY and Professor Ozpin were currently occupying the particularly low table Glynda had described, the headmaster looking rather morosely into an empty mug. The others Jaune would describe as 'bored', with the possible exception of Weiss, who was wearing a beautiful smile, and Ruby, who simply looked hungry. Nevertheless, as Pyrrha and Jaune made their approach, everyone seemed to perk up.

"Heyyy, there he is!" Yang called out. "What's up, lady killer? Last I heard you were six feet under, but I guess you must have turned your wily charms to Death herself, eh?"

"Don't mind her," Blake chipped in. "She's been like this ever since Professor Port's Grimm replica went down with the school."

"But it was so cool! Right, Rubes?"

Ruby nodded, her mouth full of strawberries.

"See? _You're_ in the minority here, not me! Yang 1, Blake 0."

"Ahem," Weiss cut in, putting out a beckoning hand. "Jaune, could you come over here for a moment, please?"

Still in his hospital pyjamas, Jaune walked around the table to Weiss’ central position, gulping nervously.

"And could you bend down a little?"

Again, Jaune did as he was told.

SMACK

"Ow! What-"

"If you even _think_ about pulling that self-sacrificing idiocy again, believe me, there will be _a lot_ more than a simple slap waiting for you. It's not smart, it's not heroic, and worst of all, it's not considerate! Do I make myself clear?"

"Um, is this really-"

"Stay out of this, Pyrrha! He knows what he did, and he's getting off _lightly_ with a slap and a stern talking-to."

Jaune sighed.

"I'm sorry, Weiss. Guess I didn't really think it through."

"You most certainly did _not_ , but that's a discussion for another time."

Then, as if an invisible switch had been flipped, Weiss' scowl returned to the lovely smile she had worn earlier.

"In any case, I'm glad you're in one piece, Jaune, as much as it might not sound like it right now. For a while, it seemed as if you were one of our only casualties, a most unfortunate fact considering our recent retrieval of Crocea Mors."

"It was lost?"

"Ever since the explosion at the Red Hunters' Guild, yes. As it turned out, Pyrrha managed to find it while combing through the Beacon ruins for…well. Not that, certainly."

"It sounds like I've been out a while."

"Not all _that_ long, actually, but events have certainly moved quickly in your absence."

"Like the event that I apparently died in?"

Weiss and Pyrrha shared a look.

"You don't know what happened, do you?" Weiss asked.

"I know there was a bomb, but not much more than that, no."

"You're missing out on a lot, then. Pyrrha, if you would?"

Pyrrha cleared her throat.

"While everyone else was trying to get you out of that sword, I was investigating the whereabouts of Crocea Mors. I thought I'd hit a dead end when the Red Hunters’ building turned up nothing, but just as I was about to give up and head back, I was sent this strange message on my scroll."

"Who from?"

"It didn't say, but I don't think it was anyone we know. The message basically warned that a bomb was set to detonate under Beacon within the hour, and if I didn't get back and evacuate the building, a lot of innocent people would die. I would have tried contacting the school before I left, but that was around the time the scrolls started going haywire, so all I could really do was catch a lift with a passing fan.”

"You must have made it back in time, then."

"Thankfully, yes. Within a few minutes, we'd managed to get most of the building evacuated, but you…you were projecting your shield, even in unconsciousness. I would've tried to move you some other way, but…well, someone pulled me away as the countdown got close."

"Then the bomb went off?"

"Yes, then the bomb went off," Pyrrha confirmed. "And after seeing what it had done to Beacon, it seemed foolish to hope you'd survived. I've never been happier to be wrong."

BEEP BOOP BEEP. In perfect unison, everyone in the tent went to check their scrolls, each with a very confused expression. Weren't they supposed to be broken? However, leaning over to peek at Weiss', Jaune found that the video function was working perfectly, as now Igneus Stormcrow, leader of the Red Hunters, peered out at him, a horrible burn coursing down his face.

"Why hello there, people of Beacon! How has your remodelling been going? I hear you've run into quite the _explosive_ snag with it, isn't that right?"

"Why that little-" Weiss began, cutting herself off.

"In any case, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm calling you all, so let me tell you a little secret; the bomb I put under Beacon was only the _first_ surprise! In exactly one hour from this message's broadcast, the entire city will be engulfed in flame as the police station, the docks, the guilds and the arena crumble under my might!"

He smiled smugly.

"That is, unless you were planning to do something about it…? No, no, that would be a death sentence. Only bold, heroic individuals would even dare attempt it…but where would you find people like that in this day and age, hm?"

Igneus saluted sarcastically.

“See you around, Beacon! Or, perhaps not? Hahaha!”

With that, the broadcast went dead, and the tent was thrown into chaos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters (nearly) daily until this thing's done.
> 
> \- Soulwithlife/Blake Phoenix


	14. Set Up Us The Bomb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved.

Vrrrrrrrrrrrm, vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm, vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm.

"First stop, Aurora headquarters! Please mind the gap and remember to use Yang's Taxi service again!"

Jaune groaned as he flopped off of the motorbike, just barely keeping his stomach stable while doing so. From the looks of it, the Aurora building seemed to be in fairly good shape, and with Vale's lazy afternoon sky, you could just spot several lights through some of the windows.

"Eurgh…could you maybe go a bit slower next time…? I don't think I was really made for this kind of stuff…"

Yang revved her bike, winking slyly.

"What was that, lady killer? I can't hear you over how awesome my bike is!"

"Yeah, yeah…Pyrrha, are you alright?"

Pyrrha, of course, stepped off of the contraption with only a little windswept hair, and after a little rearrangement, her heavenly beauty was quickly restored.

"Ah, how refreshing! Thank you for the lift, Yang. Perhaps we'll find opportunity to do it again sometime…but first…”

Firmly, but not unkindly, Pyrrha forced Jaune back to his feet, and after giving Yang a wave farewell, directed him towards Aurora's looming doorway.

"Come on, Jaune, we need to focus. There's no telling when that next bomb will go off, and we need to make sure everyone inside is properly evacuated before we can rest easy."

"Yeah, you're right…sorry," Jaune apologised, pulling himself together. "Let's get to it."

With only a slight creak from the hinges, Aurora's wooden doors swung open, revealing the mess hall to be…completely empty. The tables were covered in plates and glasses, many half-eaten and half-full, but the guildmates themselves were nowhere to be found.

"Must’ve already been evacuated," Jaune observed, knocking softly on the nearest table. "But why?"

"Perhaps someone discovered the bomb before we got here?" Pyrrha suggested.

"Yeah, I guess that could've- …wait. Do you hear that?"

It was incredibly faint, like a recording set to the lowest volume, but below the floor, Jaune thought he heard a pained coughing sound.

"Yes…it sounds like a man, I think," Pyrrha said. "Maybe he’s the one who put out the evacuation order?"

"Or he’s some drunk who got lost down here in the chaos. Either way, we should head down and check ASAP."

The basement's somewhat inconspicuous trapdoor was just to the left of the main entrance, and after an impressive display of strength from Pyrrha, the door popped open, and a cold metal ladder descended to the dreary stone floor below.

"Oh, look, Jaune: a chance to practice your landing strategy!"

"I thought my strategy was 'get pinned to a tree by a rocket spear'," Jaune retorted dryly.

"Not with all the progress you’ve made. Go on, just jump; your aura should cushion the fall.”

Knowing that time was of the essence, Jaune decided not to argue the point further, and with a little hop, followed by a heavy, echoing thud, he was soon standing right in the middle of Aurora's basement. While the room was barely illuminated by its semi-functional dust light, there wasn't really a lot _to_ illuminate, so the setup got by. One end of the room was occupied by a few supply crates, mostly consisting of bought-in food for the mess hall, and the other end…

The other end was occupied by the limp body of Asbeth, his torso suffering from a thick, surgical hole that was ever so slowly bleeding out. Once he realised there was someone with him, Asbeth's vacant green eyes came into focus, his expression filled with pain.

"You…? You shouldn't have come here, boy."

"Asbeth? What happened to you?!" Jaune asked, rushing over to the broken man's side.

"I…bit off a bit more than I could chew, that's all. Got involved with-"

Asbeth broke into a violent coughing fit, and Jaune couldn't help but cringe as flecks of blood were hurled towards the wall.

"…with the wrong sort of people," Asbeth finished weakly.

"Jaune, we need to get him out of here, now!" Pyrrha urged. "If the bomb doesn't kill him, that wound definitely will!"

"Don't…don't bother with me…only reason I'm still hanging on is by force of will. Moving me'll just lead to a quicker death…and that ain't what I deserve right now."

Jaune and Pyrrha shared a look.

"Asbeth, do you know anything about the bomb that was planted here?"

"'Course I do…I was the one who did it. Got all the kids out, too, but that don't make it much better."

"What? But…why?"

"The guy…he was offering a lot of money for little bits of info on the guild. What sort of stuff we bought, what the building was made of…all sorts of random bullshit. Figured it was easy money, but it wasn't long before I was in over my head. Death threats, bigger pay checks…the works. One way or another, I got to installing that thrice-damned bomb in the basement…but in the end, I was too chickenshit to let it go off."

Asbeth coughed again.

"Got all the kids out, tried to warn Weiss about the other bombs, couldn't…scroll was jammed. Knew then that it was too late for me. Came back down here and tried to shut the bomb off, but seems like they knew me better than I did…trapped it so anyone meddling would get hurt…"

Asbeth shook his head, his eyes filled with regret.

"And…and you know what the worst part of it was? After all that, betraying Weiss, evacuating this place, taking a shot to the chest…"

He gritted his teeth.

“The damned bomb couldn't even arm in the first place. It was a dud."

"What? But then, the other bombs-"

"Aye…probably won't go off either. So, I guess the question is…why would he want Beacon's hunters out of the ruins at the same time?"

Slowly, the pieces in Jaune's head came together. An assassination, an attempt to instigate a guild war, a bomb for both the Red Hunters’ building _and_ Beacon…

It was all for Weiss.

And now he had her in an unfortified tent, practically unguarded.

"…you get it, don't you?"

"But why? What does Igneus get out of it?"

"Igneus?"

Asbeth chuckled weakly.

"You really think that guy you saw…was Igneus? That broadcast…must’ve had you real fooled, huh?”

“What are you talking about?”

“That man was vanity incarnate, and nothing mattered to him more than his earrings. No way in hell he'd get on the big screen without looking pristine, even if it got in the way of his plan…so riddle me this, boy…"

"…why wasn't he wearing any?"

It had seemed like such a small, innocuous detail, so small that Jaune hadn't even registered it at the time. But now, looking back, he realised that Asbeth was telling the truth. Then, that must mean…

"He's an imposter."

"The best of the best…called himself Beaufort. Wish I could tell you more, but…I was just some lackey. Guess I still am, in the end. Keeping you here when you could be getting back to Weiss…maybe even saving her."

With his last ounce of strength, Asbeth grasped Jaune's hand, and for the first time since they’d met, he seemed focused. Finally, he spoke, in a voice wavering with emotion.

"Tell your dad…he was a good man…and tell Weiss…tell…Weiss…"

Asbeth coughed one last time.

"…sorry about the mess…"

…

…

…

“Jaune-”

Jaune rose, tears in his eyes.

“We won’t let him get away…not with this.”

“No, Jaune,” Pyrrha said, a steely tone in her voice. “There will always be those who spread pain and misfortune, that’s just the way of the world. But, when you blow up a school dedicated to training hunters…”

She turned, looking up to the roof.

“You’re not getting away from the hunt to follow.”

* * *

The tent was destroyed. Battered, unconscious bodies of Beacon staff were strewn haphazardly around the ruins, saved only be their aura. The only clues to the perpetrator were shards of debris that had remained behind, all pulsing with a familiar, dark energy...

…and, along with that, a tall, earthen sign, carved with thick, block capitals:

**GOD RESTS IN THE TUNNELS**


	15. Not So Elder Scroll

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved.

It was a sombre gathering. Using her remaining aura reserves, Glynda had restored the tent, and with Lavender there to tend to the wounds, everyone was looking in much better shape. Of course, that didn't change the fact that Weiss was gone, and apart from the sign that could very well be a trap, they had few leads to go on.

For the moment, only RBY and JNPR had made it back from the bombs, with the rest of the teams presumably still occupied. Not ones to rest on their laurels, however, the two teams had begun gathering information on the recent travesty from the staff, and while JNPR were still out and about, RBY had gathered around a reconstructed table to share their information.

"I just…eurgh!" Yang cried in frustration, slamming her fist into the table. "How'd that gal just wipe the floor with everyone and take off with Weiss?!"

"Part of it was sheer surprise," Blake said. "With all the attention on the bombs, no one really expected an attack on Beacon, _especially_ since they'd already succeeded in blowing it up. That, and given that no one actually died, we think she was focused on subduing everyone rather than killing them."

"Damn it! Ruby, any luck getting info on her?”

"Well, she was wielding that dark sword from before," Ruby replied. "She wasn’t possessed like Jaune, though. Was it really the same sword?"

"Pyrrha never found it in the ruins," Blake pointed out. "If it’s the same, now we know why. They must have used the bomb as cover to steal it while everyone was evacuating."

"Hmph. They're clever, alright, but that's not gonna help them when they've got a face full of my fist. What do you say, Rubes? Want to go down to the tunnels and kick some ass?"

"Sounds like a plan!"

"Sounds like a _mistake_ ," Blake corrected. "So far, all we've had to go on is what they've given us, either through Pyrrha's mysterious message or the bomb transmission, and each time we've been tricked into losing something we were supposed to protect."

"So, what? We just leave Weiss to die?" Yang asked incredulously. "That’s not an option!"

"Hey, that's not what I meant, and you know it! All I'm saying is that JNPR still haven't finished getting the whole story and combing the area, and it's possible that they'll turn up a clue or something that the enemy didn't intend us to have!"

"There's no time for that!"

"But there's time for senselessly throwing ourselves into a meat grinder?!"

"Do you really think-"

"STOP IT!"

Ruby looked between Yang and Blake, her expression serious.

"Weiss is gone, okay? She's not here. We don't know where she _is_ , we don't know what they're _doing with her_ , and we definitely don't know if she's safe! And you know what? Arguing with each other _isn't going to help_."

In a smooth motion, Ruby slung Crescent Rose over her shoulder, beginning a slow walk towards the tent exit.

"Yang, Blake, stay here and get what you need from JNPR, then head out on Bumblebee. And me?"

She loaded a round, giving the gun a dramatic cock.

"I've got some tunnels to scout."

* * *

It was around a minute later when JNPR made it into the main tent, and between them, they were apparently carrying the large block of earth the attackers had left behind. With a heave, the group chucked the block in front of Yang and Blake, interrupting their preparations to set off.

"What's with the sign?" Yang asked, adjusting her gauntlets. "Are we gonna put it up on a wall somewhere or what?"

"Not…exactly…" Jaune huffed, rolling his shoulders. "There's a…thingy...in the sign. Pyrrha?"

"I was searching the area for anything magnetic, and for some reason, there was something left inside this bit of earth," Pyrrha explained. "Since we weren't sure if it was fragile or not, we thought it would be best to bring it inside before we cracked it open, as it were."

"And it totally made for a group bonding activity!"

"That's a very Nora way of thinking about it," Ren commented, smiling.

"And we have a Nora way of _doing_ it, too," Yang decided. "How about it, Anora Borealis? Ready for some hammer time?"

After some enthusiastic nods, Nora brought out Magnhild, and with Pyrrha directing her strikes, she smashed the earth surrounding the object like glass, sending a slightly battered scroll flying out onto the floor. Pyrrha was the first to react, using her semblance to levitate the scroll over, and soon the rest were crowded around, gazing intently into the somewhat dirt-covered screen.

"Okay, I wasn't expecting a scroll to pop out," Jaune admitted. "Does it still work?"

"Mmhm," Pyrrha half-answered, cleaning the screen and giving it a few experimental swipes. "I'm just trying to find the personal profile section. Ah, here we are…"

The scroll now displayed the familiar blocky mug of Cardin Winchester.

"Cardin? Huh, that’d explain why no one knows where he's gone…" Jaune noted. "Do you think he went to rescue her or something?"

"I doubt it," Blake said, sneering. "Considering Cardin was one of the only ones who didn't volunteer to check on a bomb, along with the fact that he obviously wasn't incapacitated like the teachers, it's far more likely that he's gone turncoat."

"Then why leave the sign?" Yang asked. "If someone wanted to completely get away with a kidnapping, they wouldn't leave something like that as a clue, even if it was a dead-end clue. They'd just leave."

"Did you actually read it? 'God rests in the tunnels'. It's a boast, and it certainly wouldn't be the first for someone like Cardin."

"Mm. No, something doesn't add up, here. Anything else on the scroll, Pyrrha?"

She shook her head.

"His message log is all towards his team or Jaune, and a quick look through didn't turn up anything relevant. Unless…? One moment."

TIP TIP TAP.

"Ah, personal notes, here we are. Hm…it seems that his last log was written earlier today, concerning some earth tremors he had felt recently."

Pyrrha scrolled through the wall of text fairly quickly, only coming to a halt as an image came into view. Realising what it was, Yang stole the scroll from Pyrrha's hands, beaming as she raised it towards the ceiling.

"A map!" she exclaimed triumphantly. "That beautiful bastard just gave us directions right to the bad guy's lair! Guess I know why they call him _Win_ chester now, hot damn!"

"You can read that?" Jaune asked, staring blankly at the ‘map’, seeming more like random scribbles to him.

"Well yeah! When you ride a bike around the city a lot, being able to read a map is a pretty sweet way of not getting more lost than a seventy year old supply teacher at a comic con. Now come on, we've gotta head after Ruby!"

"That would explain the red blur we saw earlier," Ren said. "Any idea which way she went?"

Yang shrugged.

"I dunno. All of them?"

* * *

The taste of earth was thick in Weiss' mouth as she awoke, coughing and spluttering as her eyes slowly adjusted to the barely illuminated blackness surrounding her.

From the looks of things, she was currently situated in a large, circular chamber, its walls feverously decorated in symbols and signs the likes of which she had never laid eyes on before. To her left was an enormous set of steel double doors which, as it turned out, were also the _only_ set of doors, so this room was apparently some kind of dead end. To her right, meanwhile, a towering gold throne stood atop a set of carved stone stairs, and upon it, a tall, thick-set man sat, his scruffy light brown hair topped with a crown that would put a king to shame.

_He seems…familiar, somehow. Have I met him before?_

Finally, in the centre of the room, a lone, silvery pyramid proudly stood, upside down and buried in the earth, much like its mindscape counterpart. This time, however, the pyramid carried Zinnia and Ater Mors instead of the bound form of Jaune, though the device still gave her the same eerie, desolate feeling.

After what felt like an eternity, the man on the throne stood up, his bare feet hardly making a sound as he padded across the chamber's stone floor and walked up to the pyramid, his face set in a twisted grin.

"It is almost ready," the man announced ominously, glancing over to Weiss, "You should consider yourself blessed that you will live to see it."

Weiss frowned as she realised her hands and legs were bound to a chair, and as such, there was basically no escape if this guy decided to monologue. Not only that, but as she tried to say something, to shout, to scream, she found that, while her lips could move and it _felt_ like she was speaking, her breath was wasted in the air. The man chuckled.

"Silence…a wonderful semblance, wouldn't you say? The power to quieten impudent children, make attacks completely undetectable and muffle out any sound one might not want to hear. No wonder Karyan made it so far into the Red Hunters’ ranks…well. I suppose she also had help from her equipment in that regard."

The man ran a finger down Ater Mors, wincing as a spark of dark energy tried to shock him.

"An intriguing and most powerful weapon, and it will no doubt become even more so once my experiment bears fruit…not that you have any idea what that might be. Shall I tell you?”

_Oh god, he’s really going to monologue, isn’t he?_

“Yes, I believe I shall,” the man decided, making Weiss briefly wonder if he was psychic. “It's not as if there's any chance you would pass such information on, after all."

The man sauntered over to Weiss, lifting her chin up so that his dark blue eyes met with her own.

"I am Beaufort. Once upon a time, I owned a small dust corporation, one which your father ruthlessly took over and absorbed into his own. He destroyed everything I had, and I was practically left on the streets to die."

Beaufort grinned maliciously.

"Now I'm going to use the power of Ater Mors to take his company apart, brick by brick…and after that, I might just go ahead and take over Vale while I'm already doing good for the world. After all, who exactly is going to stop me?"

A resounding crash echoed from beyond the door, and at the same time, Weiss felt the silence on her lift.

She smiled.

"Death comes for you, Beaufort…and she carries a red scythe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't like blocks of interior description, but I decided to leave this one in. Let me know if that was a mistake : P .
> 
> \- Soulwithlife/Blake Phoenix


	16. End Of Disk Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved.

Specks of grey and brown whooshed past as Ruby zoomed through the tunnels, slowly making a mental map of the network as more and more dead ends were eliminated. True, this was taking quite a toll on her aura, but with Weiss’ situation growing more nebulous by the second, time was most definitely of the essence.

Finally, Ruby came upon a chamber that seemed different from the others. Its harshly-defined diamond shape gave it an artificial feel, reinforced by a set of steel doors which emanated a dark, ominous feeling. A rust-ridden cage swung mournfully on the ceiling, its prisoner stripped to his undergarments and left to helplessly bash at the bars, a pained expression on his face.

"Cardin? Is that you?"

Cardin's eyes lit up in hope, but while he tried to respond, his voice wasn’t co-operating. Instead, he simply nodded, making a slicing motion towards the bars.

"Okay, but you'll need to stand back; this rose wasn't made for small cuts, y'know?"

Hoping for a running start, Ruby jogged back to the cavern's entrance, and with her usual flair, made to chop the bars to pieces as Cardin stood back.

CRASH. A figure descended from the ceiling, blocking her strike with a long, pale sword.

"Master Winchester is in time out. Please do not disturb him."

Ruby yelped as she was sent flying back, using the wall as a bounce pad to return to a more defensible position. Looking up, she saw that the new adversary was clad in expensive silver armour, dented in several places and complemented by a tattered blood-red cloak. Her helmet, too, was in disrepair, and the cold amber eyes staring through it were unfathomably hollow, as if they had seen far, far too much.

With a heave, the woman leapt from the cage, landing on the ground with more of a poof than a clatter.

"The exit remains clear; use it now, or be struck down where you stand."

"But why’s Cardin in a cage?"

"Master Winchester disobeyed a direct order. His prison is merely a place where he must think on the essence of his wrongdoings."

"What, like helping Weiss?”

The woman stiffened.

“…she's through the doors, isn't she?"

The woman straightened out her cape, raising her sword in a threatening motion.

"I ask one last time: leave this place, or suffer the consequences.”

Ruby readied her scythe.

“…hmph. So be it.”

Striking like a viper, the woman lunged forward, missing Ruby by centimetres as the latter smoothly dodged, zipping around her opponent and coming in for a slash from behind.

“Oooh, right. That.”

Crescent Rose was sharp, but the woman’s armour refused to give way. Before Ruby could react, the woman turned, grasping the scythe with her free hand and using it to batter Ruby into the ground.

“H-hey, let go!”

Snarling, Ruby yanked her weapon back, jumping to the corner to set up a sniping position. Not missing a beat, the woman responded in kind, sending icicles whooshing through the air as her weapon changed modes.

_Ice? Oh god, I hope she’s not secretly a Schnee._

With no time for setup, Ruby was forced to move once again, slicing through the icicles as she dodged through the room. Seeing an opening as the woman reloaded, Ruby came in for the kill, inverting her scythe to strike with a blunt edge.

_Let’s crack that armour open!_

Urged on by the recoil of a sniper bullet, Crescent Rose hit with a satisfying CRUNCH. Unfortunately, all the attack did was send the woman flying back, her grey aura briefly flickering as she smacked into the side wall.

The two fighters looked across from one another, each showing signs of fatigue.

"You fight well for someone so young," the woman muttered between breaths. "But it will take more than a mere huntress to stop Master Beaufort's vision."

"Hm…you might be right!"

The woman blinked.

"You surrender, then?"

"Nope!"

In a flash, Ruby leapt upward, slicing clean the supports that kept Cardin's cage aloft. The woman tried to stop it, but saddled as she was with her dented armour, she was too slow. By the time she reacted, Ruby's plan was already complete.

Cardin Winchester had joined the fight.

"Master Winchester, no!" the woman yelled, a note of genuine fear creeping into her voice. "This isn't what your father would want!"

With a flick of his right hand, Cardin summoned a pillar of earth, smacking the woman into the roof then back down to the ground, knocking her out cold.

"My father died ten years ago," Cardin said, letting the earth settle to its original position. "Beaufort's just a fool in a crown."

He turned to Ruby, earthen plate armour strengthening around him as he gestured for her to follow.

"Let's go. We've got a Weiss to save."

* * *

 

Beaufort growled at Weiss' newly gained speech, and with hatred in his eyes, delivered a sharp, cruel kick to the stomach.

"Watch your tongue, Schnee wench! Just because I want you alive, doesn't mean I want you _unharmed_ , so unless you want to lose any of your precious limbs, I'd recommend keeping your ominous predictions to yourself!"

Luckily, Beaufort's kick may have been a little _too_ strong, and with a worrying creak, Weiss’ creaky chair collapsed in on itself, freeing her from the bindings.

"I refuse to bow...to someone like you!" she spat out, wriggling her way out of the remaining ropes. At the same time, Cardin and Ruby burst through the door, and while Beaufort didn't seem particularly surprised by the latter, the former caught him entirely off-guard.

"Cardin?! Hm, I suppose you defeated Karyan, then…what a pleasant surprise. Have you finally come to join my side, or do you still insist on opposing me?”

Cardin rolled his shoulders, ignoring Weiss' surprised stare.

"I've thought on what you said before…about the strong ruling the weak. About how anyone who bows to another only does so out of fear and weakness. About how might makes right."

Cardin brought his fists together, equipping an earthen mace as he stared straight at Beaufort.

"You’re wrong. Might doesn’t make right, and the opposite's wrong, too. But, if you make friends, trust in them and treat them well…”

Cardin lowered his visor.

“Then it doesn’t matter how strong _you_ are – as long as they stay by your side, _they_ are your strength.”

Roaring a fierce battle cry, Cardin launched his mace towards the pyramid, but Beaufort was ready. Wielding a pair of ugly curved daggers, he neatly bisected the mace, watching with satisfaction as the pieces fell harmlessly to the ground.

"Arrogance _and_ ignorance? It seems you still have much to learn, _boy_."

As Cardin and Beaufort descended into a flurry of action, Ruby saw her opportunity. Using her semblance as sneakily as she could manage, she zipped over to Weiss’ hobbling form, picking her up in a bridal carry as she made a beeline for the exit.

"Oh no you _don't!_ "

As Cardin crashed into the wall, Beaufort shot a hand towards Ruby. In an instant, his arm morphed into a scaly, serpentine form, extending to knock her off-balance. With Cardin still stunned, Beaufort swiftly followed up, grasping her waist and throwing her into the rear wall, along with Weiss.

 _Ookay, weird shapeshifting semblance,_ Ruby thought, thankful for her aura. _Gotta watch out for that one._

Next, Beaufort primed his daggers to throw, but before he could finish, a rocket-propelled spear flew through the open doors, slamming into his back and sending him sprawling to the floor. Surprisingly, Yang was first to follow, slamming her gauntlets menacingly.

"Did someone order some hot death, or is this the wrong address?"

Beaufort struggled to his feet as RBY and JNPR piled into the chamber, all armed to the teeth, fresh from fatigue and ready for combat. At the same time, Cardin had managed to shake off the concussion, and with Blake now passing over Myrtenaster to Weiss, and Ruby re-equipping Crescent Rose, it was looking like Beaufort was more than a little outnumbered. Nevertheless, the man showed no fear, merely laughing at the enemies surrounding him.

"Are these your servants, Schnee? Because if so, perhaps you should have considered recruiting more than a few rag-tag students, first years no less! Honestly, I'm _offended_."

"They aren't my servants, they're my friends; a concept that you obviously don't understand. Oh, and speaking of your stupidity, I would recommend surrendering at this point...although, seeing your body riddled with bullets _would_ hold a certain satisfaction.”

Beaufort grinned.

"Me? Surrender? I don't think you quite understand what you're dealing with here. No doubt you've fought many Grimm in your time, and from what I've heard, a few of you have even had encounters with the White Fang…but I? I am no man, no Grimm, no Faunus. I am a god!"

Cardin lunged forward, making another break for the pyramid, but it was too late. Beaufort had already grabbed both Ater Mors and Zinnia, and with a blinding flash, brought them together into one, singular spot. By the time everyone's vision had cleared, the old Beaufort was gone, replaced by a figure clad in shining gold armour, a humming blue greatsword resting in its hands.

"AND TODAY…YOU. WILL. BOW!"

* * *

It all happened so fast. The support fighters had gathered at the backline, using their semblances to help here and there, while the frontline had charged forward, hoping to find some purchase in Beaufort's armour. As they struck, however, Beaufort brought his sword up to the ceiling, and with a roar of triumph, sent pulses of blue energy surging through the chamber. Jaune managed to bring his shields up just in time, but he could only shield so many, leaving only himself, Weiss and Pyrrha as the pulses robbed the others of their strength, leaving both them and Beaufort temporarily incapacitated. Cardin, too, managed to avoid the onslaught, returning from beneath the earth to appear at Jaune’s side.

"Biancia’s merged with the black sword, and now it can steal the aura of others," Cardin whispered, hefting his weapon. "It's why I was trying to destroy the pyramid…not that it matters now."

Jaune gulped.

"So, uh…what do we do?"

"Destroy the sword,” Cardin answered bluntly. “It’s strong, though. You’ll need a Grimm Slayer to cut it.”

“What? But you just said Bianca’s in there! Won’t that kill her?”

Cardin remained silent.

“No, no! There’s got to be another way!”

“When you’re trapped in that sword, there’s no getting out. She’s practically dead already.”

“Then that makes me a dead man walking, right?”

Cardin paused.

"Fine. What’s the plan, Jaune?”

Jaune nodded.

"Alright, here’s what I've got. Spade, Weiss, you’re on distraction duty. Since you’re both the closest to Bianca, see if you can call out to her to resist the sword.”

“What about you and Pyrrha?” Weiss asked.

“If I’m right, Beaufort’s strength is from the sword, so we’ll be working on getting it away from him. You know what I mean, right Pyrrha?”

“Like we practised?”

“Yes, exactly like that. Now-”

Beaufort’s sword smashed into the shield. It whined.

"Okay, team meeting over, time to go!"

Cardin made his move first, confronting Beaufort head on with his improvised mace. Beaufort cackled at the attempt, sending a wave of dark spikes to fill Cardin full of holes, but Weiss was ready to defend.

“Bianca, if you’re really a Schnee, then live up to it!”

Persisting through injured legs, Weiss summoned up a repulsion glyph, forcing Cardin into a dodge as the spikes embedded themselves in the walls.

“We bow to no one, not men, nor swords, nor monsters. You’re stronger than this!”

Amused by the sanctimonious drivel, Beaufort laughed as he brought his sword down upon Weiss. Standing her ground, she transferred the repulsion glyph to Myrtenaster, and while it protested with screeching and bending, her rapier complied. Seizing the opportunity as Beaufort tried to regain posture, Cardin got up close and personal, riding a wave of earth to deliver a barrage of strikes to Beaufort’s head.

“Get a hold of yourself!” Cardin rooared, continuing his assault. “The Bianca I know cheated death, not once, but twice! Show me you can do it again!”

“BE SILENT!”

Filled with bloodlust and anger, Beaufort’s attacks were no longer slow and calculated, his colossal strikes beating mercilessly into Cardin as his shield began to crack. Slow to react, Weiss summoned up a slowing glyph, but Beaufort simply shrugged it off. With one last attack, Jaune’s shield finally broke, but not without recoil, and as Beaufort struggled to retain his grip, Cardin vanished into the earth.

“SO YOU WANT TO HIDE? FINE, THEN! I’LL TAKE THE SCHNEE WENCH FIRST!”

“No you _won’t!_ ”

The ground shook as Cardin shot out like a missile, his course deliberate as he slammed arm first into the sword. Instantly, the sword gave its feedback, burning through Cardin’s armour in seconds…but not before he said his piece.

“I’m here, Bianca...you don’t have to be afraid any more.”

“YOU IMBECILE!” Beaufort bellowed. “SHE CAN’T HEAR YOU!”

…

“Spade?”

VMMMMM. The very air vibrated as Beaufort’s sword rebelled, its colour rapidly switching between pure white and deep, deep purple.

“N-NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

The sword soon grew tired of changing colours.

So it split.

“Gaaah!” Beaufort yelled, shrinking as his power was stripped away. “This isn’t over! I still have the pyramid!”

“You might have the pyramid...”

Suddenly, Beaufort realised that he had been entirely ignoring two of the survivors…and now, over in the corner, Jaune Arc was wielding Crocea Eversor, its length glowing with a majestic gold.

“But you don’t have the sword!”

As if wielding a fishing rod, Jaune jerked his sword back, urging something to follow.

Ater Mors was only too happy to comply.

“S-stop!” Beaufort exclaimed, already transforming his arm. “You can’t! It’s _mine!_ ”

Jaune grinned as Ater Mors floated in front of him.

“Weiss, speed glyph!”

“On it!”

Beaufort’s dream was slipping away. He moved fast, faster than he’d ever moved before. His snake arm stretched out, desperate, angry.

But it wasn’t enough.

Urged by the speed glyph, Jaune cut through Ater Mors like a hot knife through butter, dicing it into the tiniest chunks and watching with satisfaction as its evil aura evaporated into the air. Beaufort, his dream gone and his armour stripped, felt the wounds of battle finally take hold, easing into unconsciousness as his legs gave way beneath him.

* * *

Beaufort wasn't sure how long it was before he woke up. All he knew was that, when he did, the pyramid was destroyed, and only the handle remained of Ater Mors. Jaune, Pyrrha, Weiss and Cardin stood over him, fatigued yet satisfied in their victory.

"Y-you…" Beaufort spluttered out, extending a weak hand towards Jaune. "How…?"

"Pyrrha?" Jaune prompted.

"Well, as a friend of mine might say…"

"Magnets, bitch?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took quite a bit of reworking, but sometimes, that's just what it takes. Hope you like it!
> 
> \- Soulwithlife/Blake Phoenix
> 
> P.S - There's an epilogue after this, and then we're done! Phew!


	17. After The Credits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, not me. This is merely a fanwork meant for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved.

A sugary scent wafted through the air as Weiss lazed back in the lawn chair, basking in the sun's rays as she waited for her ice cream. On the other side of the table sat Cardin, looking decidedly uncomfortable in the t-shirt and jeans combo he'd been forced into after Weiss 'respectfully disagreed' with the idea that wearing armour in an ice cream parlour was a perfectly reasonable suggestion. Still, after his vanilla ice cream finally arrived, arranged in a dainty little glass complete with miniature parasol, he seemed a little more at ease and dug into his new treat with great gusto. Weiss, on the other hand, was content to wait a little longer, her dreamy gaze wandering to the clear blue sky.

"It'll melt if you just leave it like that."

Weiss switched her view to Cardin, noting that his ice cream had already been half-devoured.

"There's a balance between leaving something and wolfing it down, you know. Perhaps you should try it sometime."

Cardin shrugged.

"Never know when something'll up and vanish. Might as well grab it while it's still there."

"Hm…I suppose there's wisdom in that."

Weiss took a slice from her lemon ice cream, gracefully placing it in her mouth and murmuring happily as the softest tang danced through her taste buds. Of course, by the time she'd fully appreciated her spoonful, Cardin had already finished his entire ice cream, his expression vaguely sheepish.

“Sorry…should've waited, right?"

"That would have been _polite_ , yes," Weiss replied amusedly. "Still, this isn't exactly a dinner at an upper-class restaurant; if you want to eat that quickly, then by all means, be my guest. This is your treat, after all."

Cardin pushed his ice cream glass to the side.

"Still not sure why you decided to go through with this…not like I did much good as your bodyguard. Probably would've been better off on your own, even."

"I told you we were going to an ice cream parlour, did I not? Besides, when it came to confronting your father, I’d say you were instrumental in our victory.”

A moment of silence descended on the table as the two cast their mind back to the previous week's events. Thankfully, there was plenty of chatter from the parlour's other visitors to fill the gap, but even so, it was clear that they were lost in thought.

"What was he like?" Weiss asked finally, eating a few more spoonfuls of her ice cream.

"Vengeful, crazy, egotistical. You saw him."

"I meant what he was _really_ like. I assume you were raised by him, after all."

Cardin shifted his weight on the chair.

"Before Schnee Corp took him down a few pegs, he was…a little more adjusted. Had this philosophy he passed down to me, about might making right. Mother seemed to like his confidence, and back then, they were just your average couple."

Cardin swirled his spoon around the empty glass.

"Then the takeover happened. Couldn't believe he'd been beaten, tried to make his way through the ranks to prove he was still on top. When that wasn't enough, he was trying other things, _criminal_ things, and Mother knew well enough that getting out was her best bet. That's about when he disappeared, and aside from some cryptic emails, I didn't hear much from him. Enrolled in Beacon after that, and the rest is history."

Weiss hastily finished her ice cream before it melted, wincing slightly as the brain freeze took hold.

"The 'might is right' part…you mentioned it before, didn't you? Something about the Faunus?"

"Mm. Said that I didn't respect the Faunus since they never seemed to rise up and fight the oppression they're always going on about…not head on, anyway. The White Fang's too cloak and dagger, too cowardly. The war was the same way."

"It sounds like your father's beliefs had quite an impact on you."

"They did, once. Now I'm not so sure."

"Oh?"

"I mean, look at Jaune. Could barely fight a squirrel at the start of the year, then he kills an Ursa Major like it's nothing. Made me realise that strength isn't always obvious, and even when it is, that doesn’t mean you can demand people’s respect.”

Cardin leaned back, his eyes drifting to the sky.

"Then there's Beacon's teams. People can be weak individually, but when they work together, they can cover each other's faults, maybe even make new strengths. Father always said it was about individual strength, but I know for sure that he and Alice couldn't have been taken down by just one of us."

He sighed.

"Used to be simple, but now it's all complicated. Can't just roll over someone weak like Velvet, since they could be some important part of a team. Can't just decide I'm right because I'm the strongest, since sometimes, there's more than one way to have strength. Can't just leave my team behind and work on my own strength, since there's so many tasks at Beacon that need you to help each other. It just…doesn't work any more."

Weiss raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"You've been thinking a lot, haven't you?"

"Kinda have to when your old life philosophy breaks like a sheet of glass. Still think there's something about it that holds true, but I'm gonna have to put it back together to find out what. Scrap the crap. Start again."

An incessant beeping pierced through the air from Weiss' scroll, and it was only after checking it that she realised what time it was.

"Ah, dust. Sorry, Cardin, but it looks like I need to finish off some preparations for the Aurora re-opening party. Perhaps I'll see you there?"

Cardin shook his head.

"Sorry, already got something planned for tonight."

"Anything nice?"

"Just a talk with a certain girl in white."

"Then she's…?"

"Yeah. Guess she held on after all," Cardin replied, a note of pride in his voice.

"I'm glad to hear that, considering all she's been through."

"Should I pass her a message?"

Weiss got up from her seat, placing a substantial tip on the table.

"Just a thank you," she said finally, giving Cardin a warm smile. "For everything."

Cardin smiled back.

"Aye…I think she’ll like that."

* * *

It had been quite a party. With Beacon still under reconstruction by Glynda, many of the boarding students had found themselves without a lot to be getting on with, leaving Aurora's opening packed with people enjoying plenty of food, drink and merriment. Unfortunately, after unwisely starting on a bottle of wine, Weiss found herself a little overcome by the event and decided to retire upstairs, eventually ending up on the newly constructed balcony. Even while somewhat inebriated, Weiss still found the view spectacular, and when Jaune came upon her, she was still staring up at the bright stars above, the glass of wine laying mostly untouched in her hand.

"Uh, Weiss?"

Weiss gasped in surprise, using the balcony to support herself as she turned. Dressed in the same black suit from the first opening party, Jaune seemed to wear it far better now, his brow furrowed in worry.

"Are you okay? Someone said you came up here earlier, and I just wanted to make sure you weren't sick or anything. Wait…have you been drinking?"

Weiss lifted her glass up with something approaching pride.

"You say that like it's a bad thing!" she exclaimed, her speech slightly slurred. "I mean, when you get these sort of events, people just _have_ to drink some wine to celebrate, don't you think? Why don't you have some?"

"Not after my sister's wedding," Jaune said sheepishly. “I think I can still smell the grapes sometimes.”

"Please, Jaune? For me?"

Jaune sighed.

"Well…alright. But just one glass, you hear?”"

In a flash, Weiss zipped in and out of the main building, triumphantly returning with a spotless glass and eagerly filling it up from a bottle of red wine. Jaune took it a little warily, and while a cautionary sip confirmed that it was far too rich for him, he supposed humouring Weiss couldn't hurt.

"Nice, isn't it?"

"Hm? Oh, uh, yeah, it's great. Thank you."

Jaune watched as Weiss turned her attention to the sky, and it wasn't long before he too followed suit, whistling softly at its majesty.

"It's definitely nice to see a sky like that after all that stuff underground. Maybe it sounds silly now, but I half thought I was gonna be stuck down there."

"Then it's a good thing we sent that Beaufort rapscallion packing, isn't it?" Weiss responded flamboyantly. "I mean, who did he think he was, anyway? Trying to take on both of us…he should've known that wouldn't work!"

Jaune smiled amusedly.

"Are you drunk, Miss Schnee, or is that my imagination?”

"Drunk? You insult me, good sir!" Weiss exclaimed tartly, even as she downed the rest of her glass. "Tipsy, perhaps…but drunk? Noooo, never!"

"Hah. You're funny when you're drunk."

"So are you…funny _looking_! Burn!"

"Damn, you've got me there," Jaune joked. "Guess I'd better go home and hang my tux back up, eh? I mean, who wants to see this old mug?"

"Oh no you don't! I won't have a handsome young man leave so easily!"

Without warning, Weiss discarded her glass and grabbed Jaune by the waist, pulling him closer.

"Not without a goodnight kiss, anyway…"

Alarm bells rang in Jaune's head as Weiss leaned in close, her high heels giving her enough height to pull him in for a good smack on the lips…at least, if he let her.

_Um, hello? You're already taken, man! Pyrrha is literally just downstairs right now!_

_But…Weiss..._

_Is drunk and is definitely not thinking straight! Is this really what you want?_

…

There had been times in the past year that Weiss had never left his mind, her petite, perfect form suffocating his thoughts as he tried to think of something, _anything_ else. She was smart, confident, beautiful…okay, maybe she could also be grumpy sometimes, and perhaps even a bit mean, but that didn't make the attraction any less real. Still, she had always been on this other level, this ‘holy pedestal’, and even as he tried and failed to flirt with her at the beginning of the year, he always knew that it was destined to fail.

And now here she was, practically handing herself over on a silver platter, going in for a kiss of her own volition.

_No._

Weiss looked up with teary eyes as he gently pushed her away.

"B-but…I thought…"

"I'm sorry, Weiss. I really, really, am, but…it just wouldn’t be right. I'm already dating Pyrrha, and you…you deserve someone better. Someone who's not a blonde dork who barely knows what he's doing, both in love and in combat. Someone who's right for you."

As the tears began to fall, Jaune brought her in for a hug, waiting patiently as her sadness flowed out into the empty night air. Eventually, her tears faded, and after releasing the embrace, Jaune gave her an encouraging smile.

"I care about you a lot, you know? You're one of my best friends…and just because we can't be together, that doesn’t mean you’re not important to me. It’s the truth."

Jaune's smart black shoes clacked along the floor as he walked back into the main room.

"Goodnight, Weiss."

* * *

It was a fair while until Weiss awoke, nearly rolling off the side of her bunk bed before realising where she was.

"Wait…how did I…?"

As if to answer her question, the expectant head of Ruby popped up from the side, grinning widely.

"Oh, hey Weiss! Have a good sleep?"

Weiss tilted her head to the side, squinting slightly.

"Maybe when she's a bit older…"

"Huh?"

"Never mind. I guess Glynda finished rebuilding, then?"

"Yup! Doesn't it look great?"

"Well _I_ for one wish she'd neglected to return the empty cookie packets. And the strawberry packets. And the packet packets...also known as bags."

"Uh, about that…those…might be new?”

"RUBY!"

Meanwhile, a little down the hallway, an armoured figure walked, the mace on their back decorated with a delicate white trim. As he walked, the mace leaked a mischievous, girlish giggle.

"What's so funny?" Cardin asked.

The voice sighed melodramatically.

_Oh, you wouldn't understand. Shipping stuff._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand that's a wrap, folks. I'm thinking of doing one last entry in The Grimm Slayer Saga, but it's probably a year or so until I know what I'm doing with that :


End file.
